the magazine FOR alumni OF University of the West of scotland

issUe 4 aUtUmn 12

innovation and Research Office feature / 5

impact of london 2012 games / 8–9

Dean of Students interview / 15

Director of Facilities, marketing and internationalisation interview / 22

PlUsWin One OF 5 KinDle FiReS / 2

univeRSity neWS / 4

StuDent PlacementS / 6–7

SiR chRiS hOy’S velODROme cOmPetitiOn / 23

POStgRaDuate StuDy OPPORtunitieS / BacK cover

alumnus les hutchison speaks of his global career and desire to “give back” to the university / 12–14

Julie’s inspiring Journey / 10–11

inSPiRing alumni

Nichola McGinlay, aged 25, is a Business Analyst with Chivas Brothers Ltd, the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Based at Paisley, Nichola is responsible for analysing the financial and operational performance of 13 whisky distilleries in Scotland, and the Beefeater and Plymouth Gin distilleries south of the border.

She has absolutely no doubt that it was her BA Accounting degree, completed in 2008, that was instrumental in securing her a job with such a prestigious company.

“The degree gave me a great preparation for the world of work. The deadlines for getting coursework done were good practice for time management, and I learned people skills in building up relationships with new people,” she says.

“I enjoyed the management and financial accounting modules, as I enjoy working with numbers and solving problems, and they have particularly helped me in the workplace.” Nichola’s fondness for number crunching emerged while she was at school. Born and brought up in Paisley, she attended Castlehead High School, where she won first prize for Higher Accounting and Finance. She was presented with her award at a ceremony in the Coats Memorial Church in Paisley’s High Street.

Growing up in the town, Nichola had always been aware of the Chivas Brothers bottling plant, but had no idea how big the company was, with 1,600 staff across 32 sites in the UK alone.

It has a strong reputation for forging close links with its local communities, and has always been keen to offer work placements to UWS students.

Nichola was delighted to win the opportunity of a year-long placement after she had completed the first two years of her degree. The Paisley plant, a manufacturing site with three bottling halls, has some 70 staff working in finance alone, and Nichola gained a wealth of experience in different aspects of accountancy. She was particularly impressed by the friendliness and enthusiasm of the staff, and decided that this was where she wanted to work once she graduated.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my placement year. But I didn’t know if they would offer me a job.”

However, Nichola had already impressed Chivas Brothers so much that her contract was continued over the summer, after her placement had officially ended, and she was offered part-time work when she resumed her course. Her capacity for hard work is demonstrated by her pinning down three part-time jobs alongside her final year studies: she also worked in the Aroma Room coffee shop, a favourite haunt of UWS students and staff in Paisley, and in her father’s shop, Graeme’s the Butchers.

Chivas Brothers took her on as a General Ledger Analyst once she had graduated, and promoted her after 18 months to her current post.

For the past year, she has been mentoring two UWS Accounting students. “I set timetables for them so that they could make the most of their year and get the best possible experience moving within different departments in finance,” she says.

“They both did a really good job — and I think they enjoyed having me as a mentor, because I could relate to them and give them plenty of advice. One already has his degree and has just got the offer of a job at Chivas Brothers, and the other has been offered a part-time contract like I was.”

Placements are a wonderful opportunity when it comes to seeking employment, says Nichola, because they offer direct relevant experience, with the student keeping a weekly diary and carrying out assignments for the University.

“I had worked in retail and in coffee shops, but I had no experience of accounting systems or computing systems,” she says.

She is so enthusiastic about Chivas Brothers that she persuaded her mother, who previously ran her own florist’s business, to apply for a job. “It’s such a good company.”

She is continuing to take professional qualifications with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, and then hopes for further promotion within the company.

“I always liked the idea of working in an office, and I never thought I would be working for a manufacturing company,” she says. “But I definitely want to stay here. We’ve got a great team, and I learn something new in my job every single day.”

Accounting for SucceSS

nichola mcGinlay, aged 25, is a Business Analyst with Chivas Brothers Ltd, the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Words olga Wojtas | Photography mark seager

The degree gave me a great preparation for the world of work.

nichola mcGinlay talks about her successful career in accounting

cOntentS

2 / contents / UWS Alumni Magazine

issUe 4 AuTumn 12

A warm welcome to the fourth edition of “West”, the magazine to inspire alumni of University of the West of Scotland.

I am happy to report another successful year with a number of significant milestones achieved.

The alumni database, since its launch in November 2009, has now doubled in three years to over 21,000 records. Membership of social networking site LinkedIn has also grown from zero to over 400 members.

Alumni and Development has managed to secure a major donation of £100,000 to University activity from Mr Les Hutchison, Vice Chair of ShawCor Ltd, a global Canadian energy services company, based in Toronto. Read about Les’s successful engineering career and his reasons for “giving back” on Pages 12–14.

If you would like to “give back” to the University, whether you can help with providing careers advice, mentoring or work placements to our current students, or provide job opportunities to our graduates, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. Alternatively, if you would like to make a financial donation to University activity, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.

The University is continuing to develop and implement a strategy for Alumni Relations and Development. I look forward to another successful year and wish you all a very successful and prosperous year ahead.

Crawford WilsonMarketing ManagerAlumni and Development

T: +44 (0)141 848 3336F: +44 (0)141 848 3333 E: alumni@uws.ac.uk

Published by Alumni and Development University of the West of Scotland Paisley Campus Paisley, Scotland PA1 2BE

ARTiCles & FeATuRes Olga WojtasStacey HunterProfessor Andy MiahMartin Greig

PhoTogRAPhy Mark SeagerAdrian SearleNeil Thomas DouglasBob McDevitt

designFreight Design

contentSmain articles

featUred articles University Profiles

Quiet Philanthropist Les Hutchison, engineer and donor, on his global career and the importance of “giving back”Pages 12–14

the right time for the right PlacementComputing giant Lenovo on the importance of forging close links with UWS Pages 06–07

nichola mcGinlay How a UWS degree led Nichola McGinlay to her dream job Page 03

Julie’s inspiring Journey How UWS PhD student Julie McElroy, has clocked up a list of remarkable achievements Pages 10–11

steve cloete How Zimbabwean Steve Cloete found support from UWS to build a new lifePage 16

caroline KaneHow alumna Caroline Kane says there is no substitute for hard work to succeed Pages 18–19

focus on the impact of london 2012 Games Pages 08–09

new UWs residences Pages 20–21

article on Glasgow’s new velodrome Page 23

Postgraduate study opportunities BacK cover

director of innovation and research Page 05

dean of students Page 15

director of facilities, marketing and internationalisation Page 22

Julie mcelroy

10les hutchison

12

University of the West of Scotland is a registered Scottish charity. Charity number SC002520. This publication is available electronically and in alternative formats, if required.

foreWord

fsc logo

UWS Alumni Magazine / insPirinG alUmni / 3

Win 1 of 5 Kindle fires UPdate yoUr detailsThe University is very keen to make sure we’ve got all the right contact details for you.

Whether you are a new graduate from 2012, or are already in the database, we need to have the latest details on your profile. If you have moved house, changed jobs, got married or recently completed a new qualification, we would like you to let us know.

Please use the Contact Details form enclosed with this copy of “West,” and return it in the freepost envelope supplied with this magazine.

All forms received by by 5pm on Friday 1st March 2013, will be entered into our Free Prize draw to win 1 of 5 Kindle Fires. See www.uws.ac.uk/Alumni CompetitionTerms for full terms and conditions. Good Luck!

inSPiRing alumni

Nichola McGinlay, aged 25, is a Business Analyst with Chivas Brothers Ltd, the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Based at Paisley, Nichola is responsible for analysing the financial and operational performance of 13 whisky distilleries in Scotland, and the Beefeater and Plymouth Gin distilleries south of the border.

She has absolutely no doubt that it was her BA Accounting degree, completed in 2008, that was instrumental in securing her a job with such a prestigious company.

“The degree gave me a great preparation for the world of work. The deadlines for getting coursework done were good practice for time management, and I learned people skills in building up relationships with new people,” she says.

“I enjoyed the management and financial accounting modules, as I enjoy working with numbers and solving problems, and they have particularly helped me in the workplace.” Nichola’s fondness for number crunching emerged while she was at school. Born and brought up in Paisley, she attended Castlehead High School, where she won first prize for Higher Accounting and Finance. She was presented with her award at a ceremony in the Coats Memorial Church in Paisley’s High Street.

Growing up in the town, Nichola had always been aware of the Chivas Brothers bottling plant, but had no idea how big the company was, with 1,600 staff across 32 sites in the UK alone.

It has a strong reputation for forging close links with its local communities, and has always been keen to offer work placements to UWS students.

Nichola was delighted to win the opportunity of a year-long placement after she had completed the first two years of her degree. The Paisley plant, a manufacturing site with three bottling halls, has some 70 staff working in finance alone, and Nichola gained a wealth of experience in different aspects of accountancy. She was particularly impressed by the friendliness and enthusiasm of the staff, and decided that this was where she wanted to work once she graduated.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my placement year. But I didn’t know if they would offer me a job.”

However, Nichola had already impressed Chivas Brothers so much that her contract was continued over the summer, after her placement had officially ended, and she was offered part-time work when she resumed her course. Her capacity for hard work is demonstrated by her pinning down three part-time jobs alongside her final year studies: she also worked in the Aroma Room coffee shop, a favourite haunt of UWS students and staff in Paisley, and in her father’s shop, Graeme’s the Butchers.

Chivas Brothers took her on as a General Ledger Analyst once she had graduated, and promoted her after 18 months to her current post.

For the past year, she has been mentoring two UWS Accounting students. “I set timetables for them so that they could make the most of their year and get the best possible experience moving within different departments in finance,” she says.

“They both did a really good job — and I think they enjoyed having me as a mentor, because I could relate to them and give them plenty of advice. One already has his degree and has just got the offer of a job at Chivas Brothers, and the other has been offered a part-time contract like I was.”

Placements are a wonderful opportunity when it comes to seeking employment, says Nichola, because they offer direct relevant experience, with the student keeping a weekly diary and carrying out assignments for the University.

“I had worked in retail and in coffee shops, but I had no experience of accounting systems or computing systems,” she says.

She is so enthusiastic about Chivas Brothers that she persuaded her mother, who previously ran her own florist’s business, to apply for a job. “It’s such a good company.”

She is continuing to take professional qualifications with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, and then hopes for further promotion within the company.

“I always liked the idea of working in an office, and I never thought I would be working for a manufacturing company,” she says. “But I definitely want to stay here. We’ve got a great team, and I learn something new in my job every single day.”

Accounting for SucceSS

nichola mcGinlay, aged 25, is a Business Analyst with Chivas Brothers Ltd, the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Words olga Wojtas | Photography mark seager

The degree gave me a great preparation for the world of work.

nichola mcGinlay talks about her successful career in accounting

cOntentS

2 / contents / UWS Alumni Magazine

issUe 4 AuTumn 12

A warm welcome to the fourth edition of “West”, the magazine to inspire alumni of University of the West of Scotland.

I am happy to report another successful year with a number of significant milestones achieved.

The alumni database, since its launch in November 2009, has now doubled in three years to over 21,000 records. Membership of social networking site LinkedIn has also grown from zero to over 400 members.

Alumni and Development has managed to secure a major donation of £100,000 to University activity from Mr Les Hutchison, Vice Chair of ShawCor Ltd, a global Canadian energy services company, based in Toronto. Read about Les’s successful engineering career and his reasons for “giving back” on Pages 12–14.

If you would like to “give back” to the University, whether you can help with providing careers advice, mentoring or work placements to our current students, or provide job opportunities to our graduates, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. Alternatively, if you would like to make a financial donation to University activity, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.

The University is continuing to develop and implement a strategy for Alumni Relations and Development. I look forward to another successful year and wish you all a very successful and prosperous year ahead.

Crawford WilsonMarketing ManagerAlumni and Development

T: +44 (0)141 848 3336F: +44 (0)141 848 3333 E: alumni@uws.ac.uk

Published by Alumni and Development University of the West of Scotland Paisley Campus Paisley, Scotland PA1 2BE

ARTiCles & FeATuRes Olga WojtasStacey HunterProfessor Andy MiahMartin Greig

PhoTogRAPhy Mark SeagerAdrian SearleNeil Thomas DouglasBob McDevitt

designFreight Design

contentSmain articles

featUred articles University Profiles

Quiet Philanthropist Les Hutchison, engineer and donor, on his global career and the importance of “giving back”Pages 12–14

the right time for the right PlacementComputing giant Lenovo on the importance of forging close links with UWS Pages 06–07

nichola mcGinlay How a UWS degree led Nichola McGinlay to her dream job Page 03

Julie’s inspiring Journey How UWS PhD student Julie McElroy, has clocked up a list of remarkable achievements Pages 10–11

steve cloete How Zimbabwean Steve Cloete found support from UWS to build a new lifePage 16

caroline KaneHow alumna Caroline Kane says there is no substitute for hard work to succeed Pages 18–19

focus on the impact of london 2012 Games Pages 08–09

new UWs residences Pages 20–21

article on Glasgow’s new velodrome Page 23

Postgraduate study opportunities BacK cover

director of innovation and research Page 05

dean of students Page 15

director of facilities, marketing and internationalisation Page 22

Julie mcelroy

10les hutchison

12

University of the West of Scotland is a registered Scottish charity. Charity number SC002520. This publication is available electronically and in alternative formats, if required.

foreWord

fsc logo

UWS Alumni Magazine / insPirinG alUmni / 3

Win 1 of 5 Kindle fires UPdate yoUr detailsThe University is very keen to make sure we’ve got all the right contact details for you.

Whether you are a new graduate from 2012, or are already in the database, we need to have the latest details on your profile. If you have moved house, changed jobs, got married or recently completed a new qualification, we would like you to let us know.

Please use the Contact Details form enclosed with this copy of “West,” and return it in the freepost envelope supplied with this magazine.

All forms received by by 5pm on Friday 1st March 2013, will be entered into our Free Prize draw to win 1 of 5 Kindle Fires. See www.uws.ac.uk/Alumni CompetitionTerms for full terms and conditions. Good Luck!

Innovation and Research — uWS iS open for BuSineSS ian Bishop outlines the university’s new Innovation and Research strategyPhotography Bob mcdevitt

univeRSity neWS

4 / University neWs / UWS Alumni Magazine

univeRSity PROFile

UWS Alumni Magazine / Universtiy Profile / 5

Knowledge Exchange between business and the education sector is high on the agenda for government, maximising the use of public funding for the Scottish economy. The Scottish Funding Council is investing in initiatives to improve the Scottish infrastructure, and universities are working collaboratively to establish better working practices and joint approaches to knowledge exchange, including the launch of six new Innovation Centres.

“Here at UWS, a revised Research and Knowledge Exchange Strategy has been introduced to focus our activities on building a vibrant research culture that will support relevant research groups in key areas of the Scottish economy”, explains Ian Bishop, Director of the Innovation and Research Office.

“I want to get the message out to key stakeholders, alumni, and businesses across Scotland (and beyond), that we are open for business; here to help you with your technical challenges, develop your staff, source future employees and embed a culture of partnership working and innovation in your business.”

“The University is completing a recruitment drive to secure an additional 80 academic staff, from early-career lecturers to professors with international reputations. These staff will bring fresh thinking and new research activity to enhance our current capability.

Of course, our research population continues to grow with a healthy community of 450 students undertaking PhDs. That’s a tremendous increase from five years ago”, says Ian.

“Our new research institutes have a strong focus on applied research and knowledge exchange and will draw on close links with local industrial partners. Exciting developments include new Institutes of Clinical Exercise and Health Science, of Biomedical and Environmental Health Research and of Advanced Technologies, complementing existing activities in areas such as Computing Technologies; Business; Youth and Community and Social Policy.”

“Strong links with industry have made an important contribution to our success, and these continue to flourish with a number of strategic partnerships. Collaborations can take many forms such as joint working with research students, student placements and projects, or the delivery of bespoke education or training programmes — on campus or on company premises. We also actively seek input from practitioners into our course design and most of our academic schools have industrial or professional advisory boards to keep our provision fresh and relevant.”

Ktp caSe Study — the univerSity and cc technologyBringing Innovation to Life — a Partnership for Success

When Glasgow-based software company CC Technology identified a market opportunity for a web-based grants management solution, they needed a development partner who could bring new expertise and get their product market ready.

In thinking about what would impact on their strategy for growth, CC Technology were attracted to the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme. The programme places an ambitious graduate, supported by an academic expert, into the company to lead a project that ultimately seeks to increase company profits. Smaller organisations recieve a grant for two thirds of the costs.

Working with the School of Computing gave the company access to an experienced research team led by Professor Thomas Connolly. An award-winning academic — with previous collaborations in industry — Professor Connolly worked quickly with Managing Director Dave Allan of the company, to develop the project plan and together they were successful with their KTP application.

CC Technology has a host of major clients, including Oxfam America, Alzheimer’s Research UK, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the NHS National Institute for Health Research, and Arthritis Research UK. Dave explains that “Currently, we’re probably managing in excess of $1 billion in grants per year.”

The project has contributed significantly to increasing the company’s turnover. Dave is extremely satisfied with both his experience and the support offered to the project by UWS. “The best thing about the project is the intellectual assistance you get. Combined with the fact that you have to meet certain deadlines, and report on what you’re doing, it encourages you to focus and see things through to the end.”

Research shows that on average a KTP will generate, an increase of over £240K in annual profits before tax, two genuine new jobs and an increase in the skills of existing staff.

To find out more about CC Technology, visit: www.cctechnology.com and www.cctracker.com

if you want to find out how a KTP might help your organisation, please contact our KTP Manager lorraine dymond.

T: 0141 848 3918 e: lorraine.dymond@uws.ac.uk

Strong links with industry have made an important contribution to our success and these continue to flourish with a number of strategic partnerships.

If you are interested in developing a collaboration with us contact Brian Cross, Business Development Director.

T: 0141 848 3302 e: brian.cross@uws.ac.uk

A ground-breaking partnership between UWS and Oxfam Scotland seeks to deliver new solutions for a fairer Scotland. The link, the first of its kind between Oxfam and a Scottish University will see the development of research and knowledge exchange. It will bring together UWS academics, Oxfam and the voluntary and community organisations linked to the charity’s UK Poverty Programme in Scotland. There will also be a policy forum involving key individuals from public, private and voluntary bodies, aiming to challenge policies which fail to tackle poverty.

UWS Principal, Professor Seamus McDaid, said: “This important partnership will see the University and Oxfam

undertaking research of mutual interest and developing policies that further our shared vision of a more equitable, sustainable and socially just Scotland.”

Judith Robertson, Head of Oxfam Scotland, said: “The experience of our work around the globe shows that some of the most innovative and most effective solutions for tackling poverty come from people in the poorest communities. Our partners in Scotland have first-hand, on-the-ground experience on how government policies help or hinder them. By combining their ideas and their experience with the expertise of students and staff at UWS, we hope to create new policy ideas that will help Scotland become a nation where poverty is a thing of the past.”

A group of four UWS undergraduates have set up a company, Tig Tag, a unique information and ticketing system for music events based on a digital entry wristband.

They were the only undergraduate team to reach the final of the prestigious Scotland-wide “Converge Challenge for Entrepreneurship”, competing against top university researchers.

Jason Dowd recently completed his BA(Hons) Business Technology, Anna Marie Campbell has just started an MA Music: Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Francis Sweeney and Tracy Thomson are respectively studying BSc(Hons) Business Studies and Information Technology.

“We’re all still learning, but we’re very serious about getting this business up and running, because we could be sitting on a multi-million pound idea,” said Tracy.

“We’ve just completed our first commercial job for the Oxjam Festival in Glasgow and we’ve got an investor in New York, who wants to see our business plan.”

Steve Talbot, Lecturer in Economics at the University’s Business School, said: “I’m very proud of them. They’ve done fantastically well, and they’re a credit to the University. It shows what can be done in the right learning environment.”

uWS leadS improved dementia care UWS has joined forces with Alzheimer Scotland to ensure better care of people with dementia. They have been appointed by NHS Education for Scotland to help develop 200 Dementia Champions based in health boards and social services across the country. This is a key element of the national strategy to improve opportunities and support for people with dementia and their families at all points in their journey, from diagnosis to end of life.

Nurses and allied health professionals have already graduated from the innovative programme, and the second round of the project is including professionals in acute hospitals and hospital-linked social care services.

Barbara Sharp, Alzheimer Scotland’s Practice Development Manager, praised the partnership as “a positive example of what can be achieved when educational and practice expertise are brought together in a spirit of co-operation and commitment to enhancing the lives and experiences of people with dementia, and their families.”

hamilton training ground for paralympic Boccia BrotherSProud Paralympians Stephen and Peter McGuire trained for the 2012 London Games at the University’s Hamilton Campus, where they both studied. The brothers have muscular dystrophy, and as a student, Stephen took up Boccia, a precision game like boules, played from a seated position. He persuaded Peter to join him and they are now World Silver Champions and current European Champions.

Sadly, they just missed out on a Paralympic medal. “Canada beat us to the bronze. We were 3 millimetres from the final, to win the gold or silver medal, and ended up with nothing,” says Stephen. “But the Paralympic Games were amazing. Walking into the opening ceremony with 80,000 people in the stadium was just like a wall of noise and was an incredible experience. When we were competing, the crowds were cheering us on, every shot.” Stephen and Peter, who live in Hamilton, train at the University’s Sports Centre every weekday, and hope the Paralympics will encourage more people to take up Boccia. “It’s very inclusive, for all abilities,” says Stephen.

For more information about Scotland’s Paralympians and all issues affecting disability sport: http://www.scottishdisabilitysport.com/sds/

new partnership against Poverty

Business Start-up Set to Be a Winner

Innovation and Research — uWS iS open for BuSineSS ian Bishop outlines the university’s new Innovation and Research strategyPhotography Bob mcdevitt

univeRSity neWS

4 / University neWs / UWS Alumni Magazine

univeRSity PROFile

UWS Alumni Magazine / Universtiy Profile / 5

Knowledge Exchange between business and the education sector is high on the agenda for government, maximising the use of public funding for the Scottish economy. The Scottish Funding Council is investing in initiatives to improve the Scottish infrastructure, and universities are working collaboratively to establish better working practices and joint approaches to knowledge exchange, including the launch of six new Innovation Centres.

“Here at UWS, a revised Research and Knowledge Exchange Strategy has been introduced to focus our activities on building a vibrant research culture that will support relevant research groups in key areas of the Scottish economy”, explains Ian Bishop, Director of the Innovation and Research Office.

“I want to get the message out to key stakeholders, alumni, and businesses across Scotland (and beyond), that we are open for business; here to help you with your technical challenges, develop your staff, source future employees and embed a culture of partnership working and innovation in your business.”

“The University is completing a recruitment drive to secure an additional 80 academic staff, from early-career lecturers to professors with international reputations. These staff will bring fresh thinking and new research activity to enhance our current capability.

Of course, our research population continues to grow with a healthy community of 450 students undertaking PhDs. That’s a tremendous increase from five years ago”, says Ian.

“Our new research institutes have a strong focus on applied research and knowledge exchange and will draw on close links with local industrial partners. Exciting developments include new Institutes of Clinical Exercise and Health Science, of Biomedical and Environmental Health Research and of Advanced Technologies, complementing existing activities in areas such as Computing Technologies; Business; Youth and Community and Social Policy.”

“Strong links with industry have made an important contribution to our success, and these continue to flourish with a number of strategic partnerships. Collaborations can take many forms such as joint working with research students, student placements and projects, or the delivery of bespoke education or training programmes — on campus or on company premises. We also actively seek input from practitioners into our course design and most of our academic schools have industrial or professional advisory boards to keep our provision fresh and relevant.”

Ktp caSe Study — the univerSity and cc technologyBringing Innovation to Life — a Partnership for Success

When Glasgow-based software company CC Technology identified a market opportunity for a web-based grants management solution, they needed a development partner who could bring new expertise and get their product market ready.

In thinking about what would impact on their strategy for growth, CC Technology were attracted to the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme. The programme places an ambitious graduate, supported by an academic expert, into the company to lead a project that ultimately seeks to increase company profits. Smaller organisations recieve a grant for two thirds of the costs.

Working with the School of Computing gave the company access to an experienced research team led by Professor Thomas Connolly. An award-winning academic — with previous collaborations in industry — Professor Connolly worked quickly with Managing Director Dave Allan of the company, to develop the project plan and together they were successful with their KTP application.

CC Technology has a host of major clients, including Oxfam America, Alzheimer’s Research UK, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the NHS National Institute for Health Research, and Arthritis Research UK. Dave explains that “Currently, we’re probably managing in excess of $1 billion in grants per year.”

The project has contributed significantly to increasing the company’s turnover. Dave is extremely satisfied with both his experience and the support offered to the project by UWS. “The best thing about the project is the intellectual assistance you get. Combined with the fact that you have to meet certain deadlines, and report on what you’re doing, it encourages you to focus and see things through to the end.”

Research shows that on average a KTP will generate, an increase of over £240K in annual profits before tax, two genuine new jobs and an increase in the skills of existing staff.

To find out more about CC Technology, visit: www.cctechnology.com and www.cctracker.com

if you want to find out how a KTP might help your organisation, please contact our KTP Manager lorraine dymond.

T: 0141 848 3918 e: lorraine.dymond@uws.ac.uk

Strong links with industry have made an important contribution to our success and these continue to flourish with a number of strategic partnerships.

If you are interested in developing a collaboration with us contact Brian Cross, Business Development Director.

T: 0141 848 3302 e: brian.cross@uws.ac.uk

A ground-breaking partnership between UWS and Oxfam Scotland seeks to deliver new solutions for a fairer Scotland. The link, the first of its kind between Oxfam and a Scottish University will see the development of research and knowledge exchange. It will bring together UWS academics, Oxfam and the voluntary and community organisations linked to the charity’s UK Poverty Programme in Scotland. There will also be a policy forum involving key individuals from public, private and voluntary bodies, aiming to challenge policies which fail to tackle poverty.

UWS Principal, Professor Seamus McDaid, said: “This important partnership will see the University and Oxfam

undertaking research of mutual interest and developing policies that further our shared vision of a more equitable, sustainable and socially just Scotland.”

Judith Robertson, Head of Oxfam Scotland, said: “The experience of our work around the globe shows that some of the most innovative and most effective solutions for tackling poverty come from people in the poorest communities. Our partners in Scotland have first-hand, on-the-ground experience on how government policies help or hinder them. By combining their ideas and their experience with the expertise of students and staff at UWS, we hope to create new policy ideas that will help Scotland become a nation where poverty is a thing of the past.”

A group of four UWS undergraduates have set up a company, Tig Tag, a unique information and ticketing system for music events based on a digital entry wristband.

They were the only undergraduate team to reach the final of the prestigious Scotland-wide “Converge Challenge for Entrepreneurship”, competing against top university researchers.

Jason Dowd recently completed his BA(Hons) Business Technology, Anna Marie Campbell has just started an MA Music: Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Francis Sweeney and Tracy Thomson are respectively studying BSc(Hons) Business Studies and Information Technology.

“We’re all still learning, but we’re very serious about getting this business up and running, because we could be sitting on a multi-million pound idea,” said Tracy.

“We’ve just completed our first commercial job for the Oxjam Festival in Glasgow and we’ve got an investor in New York, who wants to see our business plan.”

Steve Talbot, Lecturer in Economics at the University’s Business School, said: “I’m very proud of them. They’ve done fantastically well, and they’re a credit to the University. It shows what can be done in the right learning environment.”

uWS leadS improved dementia care UWS has joined forces with Alzheimer Scotland to ensure better care of people with dementia. They have been appointed by NHS Education for Scotland to help develop 200 Dementia Champions based in health boards and social services across the country. This is a key element of the national strategy to improve opportunities and support for people with dementia and their families at all points in their journey, from diagnosis to end of life.

Nurses and allied health professionals have already graduated from the innovative programme, and the second round of the project is including professionals in acute hospitals and hospital-linked social care services.

Barbara Sharp, Alzheimer Scotland’s Practice Development Manager, praised the partnership as “a positive example of what can be achieved when educational and practice expertise are brought together in a spirit of co-operation and commitment to enhancing the lives and experiences of people with dementia, and their families.”

hamilton training ground for paralympic Boccia BrotherSProud Paralympians Stephen and Peter McGuire trained for the 2012 London Games at the University’s Hamilton Campus, where they both studied. The brothers have muscular dystrophy, and as a student, Stephen took up Boccia, a precision game like boules, played from a seated position. He persuaded Peter to join him and they are now World Silver Champions and current European Champions.

Sadly, they just missed out on a Paralympic medal. “Canada beat us to the bronze. We were 3 millimetres from the final, to win the gold or silver medal, and ended up with nothing,” says Stephen. “But the Paralympic Games were amazing. Walking into the opening ceremony with 80,000 people in the stadium was just like a wall of noise and was an incredible experience. When we were competing, the crowds were cheering us on, every shot.” Stephen and Peter, who live in Hamilton, train at the University’s Sports Centre every weekday, and hope the Paralympics will encourage more people to take up Boccia. “It’s very inclusive, for all abilities,” says Stephen.

For more information about Scotland’s Paralympians and all issues affecting disability sport: http://www.scottishdisabilitysport.com/sds/

new partnership against Poverty

Business Start-up Set to Be a Winner

Placement FeatuRe

6 / Placement featUre / UWS Alumni Magazine

The RIghT TIme for The righT PlacemenT

Alumni dorothy adamson and Jack Bryant of Lenovo talk about developing a working relationship with uWSWords olga Wojtas | Photography mark seager

Placement FeatuRe

UWS Alumni Magazine / Placement featUre / 7

Dorothy Adamson and Jack Bryant are both proud alumni of the former University of Paisley (now UWS); here they pay tribute to how their university degree has

helped them in their professional career. And now that they hold senior posts with one of Paisley’s major employers — Lenovo, they are keen to foster close links with UWS.

Dorothy is Operational Accountant and Jack is Senior Business Analyst with Lenovo, the second largest computer manufacturer in the world, both have worked with the company for seven years. Lenovo, founded in China, has now gone global, one of the key stepping stones being its acquisition of IBM’s PC company in 2005. Its revenue for 2011, was US$39 billion, and it has over 26,000 employees in more than 60 countries. The Paisley office, set up in 2007, has around 100 staff.

Both Jack and Dorothy previously worked for IBM and are enthusiastic about their new employer, who they believe will shortly take the world’s number one spot.

“It’s an exciting place to work. There’s constant change,” says Dorothy.

Lenovo aims to be seen as one of the world’s top employers, says Jack, a place where people come for professional development. Being on the look-out for the brightest young talent, Lenovo is happy to have the University on its doorstep at the Paisley Campus. Staff have been enthusiastic about getting involved in the University’s Employer Mentoring Programme, Guest Lecturing, and sponsoring Postgraduate Poster presentations.

This year, the company has joined the growing number of employers, who offer work placements to UWS students, typically lasting for a year and paying a competitive salary. The first student joined Lenovo’s accounting team in August, with another planned for this year. And Dorothy and Jack anticipate the range of placement opportunities with the University will expand very quickly. These placements may not all be for a full year, says Jack, but Lenovo covers such diverse subject areas as IT, analytics, procurement supply chain, sales and marketing, as well as global logistics projects.

“Where we’ve got expertise, there’s real willingness in our team to mentor these students and give them business experience.”

Building up contacts with UWS students offers a valuable extra pipeline to recruitment, says Dorothy. It allows the student to have a view of the company, and the company to have a view of the student, and if the fit is right, can lead to a future full-time appointment. And crucially, a student brings in new and fresh ideas.

“A lot of us have worked together for a long time,” says Jack. “At IBM, we had around 20 placement students a year, and through them we got a different energy, a different perspective, and even some new ideas as well.”

While IBM still has links with UWS, Lenovo as a new employer, has established a new relationship with the University.

Jack says: “Being a judge at the Postgraduate Poster competition was a very rewarding experience for me. I was very impressed by the breadth and quality of the work on show, as well as by the enthusiasm of the students I met.”

He believes young people have a natural aptitude for, and appreciation of, new technologies in computing, which could be to Lenovo’s advantage, as it seeks to create the next generation of electronic devices.

“When I go to UWS events, I see so much potential in the students. There’s a great push on our side for innovation, and the experience we have in our office is not necessarily the best route to innovation. It’s good to have different backgrounds and different approaches.”

And Jack urges other companies to think of the benefits of having a keen, enterprising and progressive student on site, who can help sharpen up everyone’s thinking.

“I would say to employers that they should consider the value to their employees of having a student placement,” he says.

“When you work with a student, there’s a development opportunity for your staff as well, and a positive influence on the atmosphere and environment in the company. Everybody in our office is very positive about the prospect of having placement students.”

All Lenovo’s interactions with UWS have been positive and beneficial, says Dorothy.

“Over time, that will accelerate as we begin to develop and foster the relationship. UWS has a strong practical focus, but a lot of what students do is theoretical. So if there are closer links with business, both parties can benefit.”

There is a genuine interest among UWS students and staff in strengthening links between academia and the business world, she says. And she anticipates that Lenovo will shortly have a regular graduate recruitment programme, which will offer opportunities to UWS students.

Both Dorothy and Jack came to the University as mature students. “You go in with a slightly different attitude, a more serious approach to study,” says Dorothy.

“I absolutely loved it. I studied a BA Business Economics, and we were known as the Babes. I enjoyed the study — the exams were the tough part. Economics really, really interested me. It was a fantastic experience.”

After graduating from the (then) University of Paisley in 1990, she joined IBM as a Cost Engineer. Early on, she was given responsibilities for Europe and also worked in the United States.

“When I graduated, I was nervous about getting a job — because I was older. One of the main subjects on our course was Human Resources and we learnt a lot about interview skills, which was very useful. The course definitely gave me a good grounding.”

Jack already had an electronics degree and was working in the civil service, but felt he wasn’t fulfilling his potential. He enrolled in the one-year Postgraduate Diploma course in Information Technology, graduating in 2000.

“The course was great and focused on business communication skills. This was completely new to me and of most value. I’d always been fairly good technically, but hadn’t been particularly good at communicating clearly and confidently. On the course, there was a lot of emphasis on presentation skills, which certainly helped me a great deal” he says.

“And the systems analysis model I produced is almost at the core of my daily job now. To have that understanding and skill-set has really been fundamental. It’s all been very worthwhile for me, helping me to progress my career in the company.”

If you, as an employer, or your organisation, are able to assist the University with undergraduate placements, mentoring or job opportunities for our graduates, please contact:

Jean Beggs (Placements) T: 0141 848 3370

Frances Rowan (Employer Mentoring Programme) T: 0141 848 3990

When you work with a student, there’s a development opportunity for your staff as well, and a positive influence on the atmosphere and environment in the company.

It’s an exciting place to work. There’s constant change...

Placement FeatuRe

6 / Placement featUre / UWS Alumni Magazine

The RIghT TIme for The righT PlacemenT

Alumni dorothy adamson and Jack Bryant of Lenovo talk about developing a working relationship with uWSWords olga Wojtas | Photography mark seager

Placement FeatuRe

UWS Alumni Magazine / Placement featUre / 7

Dorothy Adamson and Jack Bryant are both proud alumni of the former University of Paisley (now UWS); here they pay tribute to how their university degree has

helped them in their professional career. And now that they hold senior posts with one of Paisley’s major employers — Lenovo, they are keen to foster close links with UWS.

Dorothy is Operational Accountant and Jack is Senior Business Analyst with Lenovo, the second largest computer manufacturer in the world, both have worked with the company for seven years. Lenovo, founded in China, has now gone global, one of the key stepping stones being its acquisition of IBM’s PC company in 2005. Its revenue for 2011, was US$39 billion, and it has over 26,000 employees in more than 60 countries. The Paisley office, set up in 2007, has around 100 staff.

Both Jack and Dorothy previously worked for IBM and are enthusiastic about their new employer, who they believe will shortly take the world’s number one spot.

“It’s an exciting place to work. There’s constant change,” says Dorothy.

Lenovo aims to be seen as one of the world’s top employers, says Jack, a place where people come for professional development. Being on the look-out for the brightest young talent, Lenovo is happy to have the University on its doorstep at the Paisley Campus. Staff have been enthusiastic about getting involved in the University’s Employer Mentoring Programme, Guest Lecturing, and sponsoring Postgraduate Poster presentations.

This year, the company has joined the growing number of employers, who offer work placements to UWS students, typically lasting for a year and paying a competitive salary. The first student joined Lenovo’s accounting team in August, with another planned for this year. And Dorothy and Jack anticipate the range of placement opportunities with the University will expand very quickly. These placements may not all be for a full year, says Jack, but Lenovo covers such diverse subject areas as IT, analytics, procurement supply chain, sales and marketing, as well as global logistics projects.

“Where we’ve got expertise, there’s real willingness in our team to mentor these students and give them business experience.”

Building up contacts with UWS students offers a valuable extra pipeline to recruitment, says Dorothy. It allows the student to have a view of the company, and the company to have a view of the student, and if the fit is right, can lead to a future full-time appointment. And crucially, a student brings in new and fresh ideas.

“A lot of us have worked together for a long time,” says Jack. “At IBM, we had around 20 placement students a year, and through them we got a different energy, a different perspective, and even some new ideas as well.”

While IBM still has links with UWS, Lenovo as a new employer, has established a new relationship with the University.

Jack says: “Being a judge at the Postgraduate Poster competition was a very rewarding experience for me. I was very impressed by the breadth and quality of the work on show, as well as by the enthusiasm of the students I met.”

He believes young people have a natural aptitude for, and appreciation of, new technologies in computing, which could be to Lenovo’s advantage, as it seeks to create the next generation of electronic devices.

“When I go to UWS events, I see so much potential in the students. There’s a great push on our side for innovation, and the experience we have in our office is not necessarily the best route to innovation. It’s good to have different backgrounds and different approaches.”

And Jack urges other companies to think of the benefits of having a keen, enterprising and progressive student on site, who can help sharpen up everyone’s thinking.

“I would say to employers that they should consider the value to their employees of having a student placement,” he says.

“When you work with a student, there’s a development opportunity for your staff as well, and a positive influence on the atmosphere and environment in the company. Everybody in our office is very positive about the prospect of having placement students.”

All Lenovo’s interactions with UWS have been positive and beneficial, says Dorothy.

“Over time, that will accelerate as we begin to develop and foster the relationship. UWS has a strong practical focus, but a lot of what students do is theoretical. So if there are closer links with business, both parties can benefit.”

There is a genuine interest among UWS students and staff in strengthening links between academia and the business world, she says. And she anticipates that Lenovo will shortly have a regular graduate recruitment programme, which will offer opportunities to UWS students.

Both Dorothy and Jack came to the University as mature students. “You go in with a slightly different attitude, a more serious approach to study,” says Dorothy.

“I absolutely loved it. I studied a BA Business Economics, and we were known as the Babes. I enjoyed the study — the exams were the tough part. Economics really, really interested me. It was a fantastic experience.”

After graduating from the (then) University of Paisley in 1990, she joined IBM as a Cost Engineer. Early on, she was given responsibilities for Europe and also worked in the United States.

“When I graduated, I was nervous about getting a job — because I was older. One of the main subjects on our course was Human Resources and we learnt a lot about interview skills, which was very useful. The course definitely gave me a good grounding.”

Jack already had an electronics degree and was working in the civil service, but felt he wasn’t fulfilling his potential. He enrolled in the one-year Postgraduate Diploma course in Information Technology, graduating in 2000.

“The course was great and focused on business communication skills. This was completely new to me and of most value. I’d always been fairly good technically, but hadn’t been particularly good at communicating clearly and confidently. On the course, there was a lot of emphasis on presentation skills, which certainly helped me a great deal” he says.

“And the systems analysis model I produced is almost at the core of my daily job now. To have that understanding and skill-set has really been fundamental. It’s all been very worthwhile for me, helping me to progress my career in the company.”

If you, as an employer, or your organisation, are able to assist the University with undergraduate placements, mentoring or job opportunities for our graduates, please contact:

Jean Beggs (Placements) T: 0141 848 3370

Frances Rowan (Employer Mentoring Programme) T: 0141 848 3990

When you work with a student, there’s a development opportunity for your staff as well, and a positive influence on the atmosphere and environment in the company.

It’s an exciting place to work. There’s constant change...

FeatuRe aRticle

8 / featUre article / UWS Alumni Magazine

moRe Than JusT games

FeatuRe aRticle

UWS Alumni Magazine / featUre article / 9

Almost since their inception, the modern Olympic Games have been a media event, always attracting attention on whatever is the vogue platform of the day. The

London 2012 Games were no exception, as they will be remembered as the first ‘social media’ Olympics.

During the media coverage, Twitter in particular was mentioned countless times, as athletes and commentators expressed their views about what was taking place inside and outside the sports arenas.

These changes in how mega-events like the Olympics are produced and consumed have attracted researchers for over 30 years and yet most of the attention has been on television coverage, largely because this has been the most prominent communication platform to reach global audiences.

All of this is now beginning to change as more communication and consumption occurs within social media environments, and the broader societal implications of this is that there are more institutions and individuals who are capable of creating their own broadcasting channels.

In fact, since the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games, a growing number of ‘citizen journalists’ have been travelling to the Games to report it from their own perspective.

Part of my research into the Olympics has been to track this rising community and, leading up to London 2012 Games, staff and students at UWS participated in a project called #media2012, that aimed to mobilise people to create their own media content around the Games, which is no easy task as it is perhaps the most controlled media event in history.

This community emerged over the last 3 Games and its expansion derives from my own research at 7 Olympic Games, studying how new media is changing the Olympics. It also relates to research programmes that take place within the Creative Futures Institute, a crucial driving force in the University’s School of Creative & Cultural Industries, supported by the UWS Skillset Media Academy and Knowledge Exchange.

The people involved with #media2012 were motivated by the desire to expand people’s understanding of the Olympics and, more ambitiously, to change society through empowering citizens to produce their own

reports on the Games. The monumental and unrivalled global platform of the Olympic Games makes it an appealing route through which to advance this cause.

At the Vancouver 2010 Games, staff and students from UWS set up an independent Media Centre, which revealed just how much could be achieved by using people power to generate news stories and an alternative Olympic programme. Visitors to the W2 Media Centre heard debates about the housing crisis surrounding the future Olympic site plans, arguments on behalf of doping in sport, and witnessed leading art-work by deaf and disabled artists. A feature length film called ‘With Glowing Hearts’ was even made about the journey. These programmes would not have occurred without a commitment from ‘citizen journalists’.

For London 2012, this network operated under the Twitter hashtag #media2012, which was also the main tag for organising all of the content generated by the community. #media2012 describes itself as the ‘citizen news wire for London 2012’, providing a gateway to alternative 2012 stories and issues and serves to act as an organising framework for those who believe that social

media can help to change the means of production and media content that people consume. #media2012 invited people to follow this hashtag during the Games, so as to create a community and single channel of communication about the Games.

While many of the #media2012 reporters were amateurs — it was not their day job — many were publishing content in professional media outlets. Also, far from setting up a divide between citizen and professional journalists, it promoted their interface with a view to re-thinking the relationship between journalists and society, a crucial issue in the wake of the UK’s Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

#media2012 was born out of a collaboration between artists and educators. The project was launched in 2010 with support from the North West’s Abandon Normal Devices Festival and 3 Creative Programmers from London 2012. In this respect, it is something of an ‘Olympic fringe’ programme, trying to create dialogue with the Olympic infrastructure, so as to bring about change for the better.

A number of individual projects were born out of this community. In Scotland, UWS led a #media2012 project funded by Creative Scotland, called ‘Citizen Relay’, which took reporters alongside the 2012 torch relay. In the South West of England, a media camp was set up in Weymouth covering cultural activity. In the East Midlands, the Citizens Eye Community News Centre in Leicester aimed to recruit 2,012 reporters to cover their region. In the West Midlands, students at Birmingham City University developed a crowd source platform for collaborative journalism. In the North West, ‘Let’s Go Global’ took forward the #media2012 agenda by recruiting people from around the region to cover the Games and the Future Everything Festival hosted a nationwide pre-Games meeting.

At the heart of the project was an argument about how the media is changing within society, as a result of new forms of media production. However, it also claims that media outlets need richer connections with real people and that real people now have their own means to create media outlets themselves. The rise of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are the tools through which this transformation can begin, but they may not yet be the end point for where content is stored.

In addition, the initial premise of #media2012 was that asserting one’s right to work as a journalist is crucial in an age of media expansion. #media2012 was all about claiming ownership over media production and consumption. The legacy of this project goes on beyond 2012 and UWS are already working with like-minded academics in Russia in advance of Sochi 2014 and Rio for the 2016 Olympic Games.

For a School that focuses on the Creative and Cultural Industries, #media2012 struck at the heart of how media change has an impact

on all echelons of society, changing how people communicate with each other and how they experience the world.

An interest in these values is what drives much of the research within the Creative Futures Institute at UWS, and our hands-on approach to making the future is a crucial way for us to implement our intellectual thoughts about these changes.

In closing, while many people expected the dominance of social media at the Games, it is still far from clear that consuming content within such platforms compromises the dominance of television. In fact, industry leaders claim that it augments viewing figures and so there remain questions about whether media change at the user-level affects media change at the institutional-level.

However, what distinguished London 2012 from other Olympics before it, is that social media became a primary medium of news production and dominated much of the television coverage. This is why it will be remembered, rightly, as the first social media Olympics.

uWS Professor andy miah examines how the London 2012 olympic and Paralympic games didn’t just break records, they also sparked social media change.

During the media coverage, Twitter in particular was mentioned countless times, as athletes and commentators expressed their views about what was happening.

Professor Andy Miah is Director of the Creative Futures Institute, a cross-university research environment http://creativefutur.es

His latest book is called ‘The olympics’ http://olympicsbasics.eu and he can be found on Twitter at @andymiah.

Professor andy miah.

Pho

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aphy

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ph

en

hu

nw

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FeatuRe aRticle

8 / featUre article / UWS Alumni Magazine

moRe Than JusT games

FeatuRe aRticle

UWS Alumni Magazine / featUre article / 9

Almost since their inception, the modern Olympic Games have been a media event, always attracting attention on whatever is the vogue platform of the day. The

London 2012 Games were no exception, as they will be remembered as the first ‘social media’ Olympics.

During the media coverage, Twitter in particular was mentioned countless times, as athletes and commentators expressed their views about what was taking place inside and outside the sports arenas.

These changes in how mega-events like the Olympics are produced and consumed have attracted researchers for over 30 years and yet most of the attention has been on television coverage, largely because this has been the most prominent communication platform to reach global audiences.

All of this is now beginning to change as more communication and consumption occurs within social media environments, and the broader societal implications of this is that there are more institutions and individuals who are capable of creating their own broadcasting channels.

In fact, since the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games, a growing number of ‘citizen journalists’ have been travelling to the Games to report it from their own perspective.

Part of my research into the Olympics has been to track this rising community and, leading up to London 2012 Games, staff and students at UWS participated in a project called #media2012, that aimed to mobilise people to create their own media content around the Games, which is no easy task as it is perhaps the most controlled media event in history.

This community emerged over the last 3 Games and its expansion derives from my own research at 7 Olympic Games, studying how new media is changing the Olympics. It also relates to research programmes that take place within the Creative Futures Institute, a crucial driving force in the University’s School of Creative & Cultural Industries, supported by the UWS Skillset Media Academy and Knowledge Exchange.

The people involved with #media2012 were motivated by the desire to expand people’s understanding of the Olympics and, more ambitiously, to change society through empowering citizens to produce their own

reports on the Games. The monumental and unrivalled global platform of the Olympic Games makes it an appealing route through which to advance this cause.

At the Vancouver 2010 Games, staff and students from UWS set up an independent Media Centre, which revealed just how much could be achieved by using people power to generate news stories and an alternative Olympic programme. Visitors to the W2 Media Centre heard debates about the housing crisis surrounding the future Olympic site plans, arguments on behalf of doping in sport, and witnessed leading art-work by deaf and disabled artists. A feature length film called ‘With Glowing Hearts’ was even made about the journey. These programmes would not have occurred without a commitment from ‘citizen journalists’.

For London 2012, this network operated under the Twitter hashtag #media2012, which was also the main tag for organising all of the content generated by the community. #media2012 describes itself as the ‘citizen news wire for London 2012’, providing a gateway to alternative 2012 stories and issues and serves to act as an organising framework for those who believe that social

media can help to change the means of production and media content that people consume. #media2012 invited people to follow this hashtag during the Games, so as to create a community and single channel of communication about the Games.

While many of the #media2012 reporters were amateurs — it was not their day job — many were publishing content in professional media outlets. Also, far from setting up a divide between citizen and professional journalists, it promoted their interface with a view to re-thinking the relationship between journalists and society, a crucial issue in the wake of the UK’s Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

#media2012 was born out of a collaboration between artists and educators. The project was launched in 2010 with support from the North West’s Abandon Normal Devices Festival and 3 Creative Programmers from London 2012. In this respect, it is something of an ‘Olympic fringe’ programme, trying to create dialogue with the Olympic infrastructure, so as to bring about change for the better.

A number of individual projects were born out of this community. In Scotland, UWS led a #media2012 project funded by Creative Scotland, called ‘Citizen Relay’, which took reporters alongside the 2012 torch relay. In the South West of England, a media camp was set up in Weymouth covering cultural activity. In the East Midlands, the Citizens Eye Community News Centre in Leicester aimed to recruit 2,012 reporters to cover their region. In the West Midlands, students at Birmingham City University developed a crowd source platform for collaborative journalism. In the North West, ‘Let’s Go Global’ took forward the #media2012 agenda by recruiting people from around the region to cover the Games and the Future Everything Festival hosted a nationwide pre-Games meeting.

At the heart of the project was an argument about how the media is changing within society, as a result of new forms of media production. However, it also claims that media outlets need richer connections with real people and that real people now have their own means to create media outlets themselves. The rise of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are the tools through which this transformation can begin, but they may not yet be the end point for where content is stored.

In addition, the initial premise of #media2012 was that asserting one’s right to work as a journalist is crucial in an age of media expansion. #media2012 was all about claiming ownership over media production and consumption. The legacy of this project goes on beyond 2012 and UWS are already working with like-minded academics in Russia in advance of Sochi 2014 and Rio for the 2016 Olympic Games.

For a School that focuses on the Creative and Cultural Industries, #media2012 struck at the heart of how media change has an impact

on all echelons of society, changing how people communicate with each other and how they experience the world.

An interest in these values is what drives much of the research within the Creative Futures Institute at UWS, and our hands-on approach to making the future is a crucial way for us to implement our intellectual thoughts about these changes.

In closing, while many people expected the dominance of social media at the Games, it is still far from clear that consuming content within such platforms compromises the dominance of television. In fact, industry leaders claim that it augments viewing figures and so there remain questions about whether media change at the user-level affects media change at the institutional-level.

However, what distinguished London 2012 from other Olympics before it, is that social media became a primary medium of news production and dominated much of the television coverage. This is why it will be remembered, rightly, as the first social media Olympics.

uWS Professor andy miah examines how the London 2012 olympic and Paralympic games didn’t just break records, they also sparked social media change.

During the media coverage, Twitter in particular was mentioned countless times, as athletes and commentators expressed their views about what was happening.

Professor Andy Miah is Director of the Creative Futures Institute, a cross-university research environment http://creativefutur.es

His latest book is called ‘The olympics’ http://olympicsbasics.eu and he can be found on Twitter at @andymiah.

Professor andy miah.

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inSPiRing alumni

10 / insPirinG alUmni / UWS Alumni Magazine

Given her own self-motivation, she was surprised to find they didn’t share her passion or conscientiousness in new technology.

She completed a Higher National Diploma and then applied to UWS, particularly attracted by its course in Information Technology. She gained direct entry into the third year of the degree course to study part-time, but subsequently had to take a semester off because of problems linked to her on-going condition which included a ruptured Achilles tendon. However, once recovered, she didn’t hesitate when the BBC suggested an unusual way of spending the Easter break — in a ten-member team of disabled young people trekking from the Amazon Basin to the Pacific Coast.

The trek was both physically and mentally tough, but it boosted Julie’s confidence in her abilities. On her return, she was given a sophisticated Bluetooth hearing aid through which she can hear her mobile phone and listen to her iPod.

She resumed her studies with fresh enthusiasm and was so motivated that she decided to go on to study for an additional Honours year. Julie graduated in 2010, winning the University’s Court Medal for the highest achieving student. She is now continuing her studies studying for a PhD, investigating Assistive Technologies that will help students with disabilities in Further and Higher Education.

In May this year, she won the national Adult Learner of the Year Award from the Scottish Learning Partnership. Matt Moir of the University’s Lifelong Learning Academy, who nominated her, says: “We are delighted that Julie won the Adult Learner of the Year Award. She is a very positive, pro-active and determined individual and is a deserving recipient of this prestigious award.”

Julie said, “This is a great accolade for UWS, because of the way they’ve helped me over the last six years to learn in my own style. I particularly appreciate the advice and support I obtained from Matt.”

She expects to complete her doctorate, which she is studying part-time, in 2015.

She is not certain whether she will stay in the field of educational technology, but says there are also other areas of opportunity to work alongside people with disabilities, such as the allied health professions, bio-engineering and the NHS.

“I always have and will continue to need to rely on technology, and I want to make a contribution back.”

Julie has already made a considerable contribution back outside education. Apart from her research, she has done a huge amount of charity work. She was the figurehead for Capability Scotland’s Ben Nevis Challenge in which wheelchair users conquered the peak, raising more than £100,000. The Himalayan trek raised funds for a charity helping children with cerebral palsy, and Julie also worked on a community project

in Delhi with some of the poorest disabled children in India. This expedition featured on the BBC’s Adventure Show, broadcast in March 2012. Her goal is to set up her own charitable foundation, Transpire, which will help people with disabilities and the elderly to lead an independent life through assistive technologies.

Julie is a leadership and empowerment graduate of Disability Rights UK, who nominated her as an Olympic Torchbearer, because of her outstanding work in helping people with disabilities to participate equally.

She carried the torch 300 metres through Glasgow city centre to herald the opening of the London 2012 Olympics, and had a coveted spot next to actor James McAvoy and comedian Des Clarke. She had feared there would be little enthusiasm for the event, but arrived to find the streets thronged.

“It was an incredible atmosphere — it felt like a hero’s welcome!”

This year, she was nominated as Scotswoman of the Year, making the top five and was presented with the Lord Provost’s Special Inspiring Individual Award by Bob Winter, Lord Provost of Glasgow.

James McAvoy and Des Clarke are just a few of the famous faces she has met: Julie was thrilled to be invited to the Queen’s Jubilee service in Glasgow Cathedral. And last year, Disability Rights UK chose her to represent them at a reception at 10 Downing Street, hosted by the Prime Minister’s wife, Samantha Cameron.

“Mrs Cameron was very down to earth, and I enjoyed seeing the inside of Number 10, with all the photographs of the former Prime Ministers on the staircase.”

September 2012 brought a fresh challenge with the Women’s 10k in Glasgow: Julie is unable to run because of the complexity of her walking gait, but asked if she could walk the distance instead. Her regular gym workout consisted of cardiovascular training, boosting her physical fitness, she says, improves her endurance, her balance co-ordination and her confidence.

Julie was accompanied on the race by Jacqueline Mackenzie Robb who has worked with her as a note-taker at UWS.

“I intend to grab every opportunity that comes along, to prove to myself and others that if you set your mind to achieve anything in life, you can overcome any obstacles,” she says. “I’m looking forward to whatever new challenges the future holds for me in order to achieve my personal ambitions.”

JuLIe’S insPiring Journey

For a 26 year-old, alumna Julie mcelroy has chalked up a remarkable list of achievements. Words olga Wojtas | Photography mark seager

inSPiRing alumni

UWS Alumni Magazine / insPirinG alUmni / 11

I intend to grab every opportunity that comes along, to prove to myself and others that if you set your mind to achieve anything in life, you can overcome any obstacles.

It was an incredible atmosphere — it felt like a hero’s welcome!

For a 26 year-old, alumna Julie McElroy has chalked up a remarkable list of achievements in her life so far, and has many more life-changing ambitions that she wants to achieve.

She is a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award recipient, she has trekked through the Andes and the Himalayas, canoed the length of Loch Shiel, reached the summit of Ben Lomond, and last month took part in the Great Scottish Run 10k in Glasgow, all for charity.

But what makes this a truly remarkable story is that Julie was born with cerebral palsy and doctors told her parents she would probably spend her life in a wheelchair. At the age of five years old, she was also diagnosed as profoundly deaf.

Julie, a vivacious, engaging young woman, says: “I don’t see myself as disabled any more. I’ve come to terms with it.”

What she has achieved is a tribute to her courage, her indomitable spirit, and her point-blank refusal to accept that anything is beyond her. Her parents were very supportive and wanted her to do as well as possible academically, so they sent her to a special needs school in her home city of Glasgow.

There, she was in a class of only 8 pupils as opposed to a class of 30 as she would have been in mainstream education alongside her twin sister Amy.

Amy and their elder brother Charles always inspired Julie to do more and aim for what they had achieved, she says. She is delighted, for example, that she followed her sister in passing her driving test, since her specially-adapted car very much supports her independence.

At school, shortly after her deafness had been diagnosed, a whole new world of advanced technological communications opened up to her through Apple Macs, PCs and the internet. She and her classmates participated in a project by BT involving Glasgow’s Yorkhill Hospital, which meant the children could keep in touch with one another even when their disabilities meant they had to be hospitalised.

It’s not surprising that when Julie left school, she decided to study Information Technology. She went first to Cardonald College in Glasgow, where she was the only girl among 20 boys.

cvJulie mcelroy• 1997–2003:AshcraigSchool,Glasgow

• 2006:HNDInformationTechnology,cardonald college, glasgow

• 2006:Successfullygainsentrytothirdyearofinformation technology degree course at uWS

• 2007:250-miletrekthroughtheAndes

• 2008:DukeofEdinburghGoldAward

• 2010:GraduateswithanHonoursDegreeininformation technology, winning a university court medal for the highest achieving student

• 2011:Himalayantrekandworkingwithdisabled children in the slums of Delhi

• 2011:VisittoNo.10DowningStreet,London,to meet Prime minister’s wife, Samantha cameron

• April2012:ReceivesLordProvostofGlasgow’sinspiring individual award

• May2012:WinnerofAdultLearner of the year award

• June2012:TorchbearerforLondon2012Olympics in glasgow

• Sept2012:GreatScottishRun10k,Glasgow

Julie carrying the Flame for london 2012 games through the streets of glasgow

inSPiRing alumni

10 / insPirinG alUmni / UWS Alumni Magazine

Given her own self-motivation, she was surprised to find they didn’t share her passion or conscientiousness in new technology.

She completed a Higher National Diploma and then applied to UWS, particularly attracted by its course in Information Technology. She gained direct entry into the third year of the degree course to study part-time, but subsequently had to take a semester off because of problems linked to her on-going condition which included a ruptured Achilles tendon. However, once recovered, she didn’t hesitate when the BBC suggested an unusual way of spending the Easter break — in a ten-member team of disabled young people trekking from the Amazon Basin to the Pacific Coast.

The trek was both physically and mentally tough, but it boosted Julie’s confidence in her abilities. On her return, she was given a sophisticated Bluetooth hearing aid through which she can hear her mobile phone and listen to her iPod.

She resumed her studies with fresh enthusiasm and was so motivated that she decided to go on to study for an additional Honours year. Julie graduated in 2010, winning the University’s Court Medal for the highest achieving student. She is now continuing her studies studying for a PhD, investigating Assistive Technologies that will help students with disabilities in Further and Higher Education.

In May this year, she won the national Adult Learner of the Year Award from the Scottish Learning Partnership. Matt Moir of the University’s Lifelong Learning Academy, who nominated her, says: “We are delighted that Julie won the Adult Learner of the Year Award. She is a very positive, pro-active and determined individual and is a deserving recipient of this prestigious award.”

Julie said, “This is a great accolade for UWS, because of the way they’ve helped me over the last six years to learn in my own style. I particularly appreciate the advice and support I obtained from Matt.”

She expects to complete her doctorate, which she is studying part-time, in 2015.

She is not certain whether she will stay in the field of educational technology, but says there are also other areas of opportunity to work alongside people with disabilities, such as the allied health professions, bio-engineering and the NHS.

“I always have and will continue to need to rely on technology, and I want to make a contribution back.”

Julie has already made a considerable contribution back outside education. Apart from her research, she has done a huge amount of charity work. She was the figurehead for Capability Scotland’s Ben Nevis Challenge in which wheelchair users conquered the peak, raising more than £100,000. The Himalayan trek raised funds for a charity helping children with cerebral palsy, and Julie also worked on a community project

in Delhi with some of the poorest disabled children in India. This expedition featured on the BBC’s Adventure Show, broadcast in March 2012. Her goal is to set up her own charitable foundation, Transpire, which will help people with disabilities and the elderly to lead an independent life through assistive technologies.

Julie is a leadership and empowerment graduate of Disability Rights UK, who nominated her as an Olympic Torchbearer, because of her outstanding work in helping people with disabilities to participate equally.

She carried the torch 300 metres through Glasgow city centre to herald the opening of the London 2012 Olympics, and had a coveted spot next to actor James McAvoy and comedian Des Clarke. She had feared there would be little enthusiasm for the event, but arrived to find the streets thronged.

“It was an incredible atmosphere — it felt like a hero’s welcome!”

This year, she was nominated as Scotswoman of the Year, making the top five and was presented with the Lord Provost’s Special Inspiring Individual Award by Bob Winter, Lord Provost of Glasgow.

James McAvoy and Des Clarke are just a few of the famous faces she has met: Julie was thrilled to be invited to the Queen’s Jubilee service in Glasgow Cathedral. And last year, Disability Rights UK chose her to represent them at a reception at 10 Downing Street, hosted by the Prime Minister’s wife, Samantha Cameron.

“Mrs Cameron was very down to earth, and I enjoyed seeing the inside of Number 10, with all the photographs of the former Prime Ministers on the staircase.”

September 2012 brought a fresh challenge with the Women’s 10k in Glasgow: Julie is unable to run because of the complexity of her walking gait, but asked if she could walk the distance instead. Her regular gym workout consisted of cardiovascular training, boosting her physical fitness, she says, improves her endurance, her balance co-ordination and her confidence.

Julie was accompanied on the race by Jacqueline Mackenzie Robb who has worked with her as a note-taker at UWS.

“I intend to grab every opportunity that comes along, to prove to myself and others that if you set your mind to achieve anything in life, you can overcome any obstacles,” she says. “I’m looking forward to whatever new challenges the future holds for me in order to achieve my personal ambitions.”

JuLIe’S insPiring Journey

For a 26 year-old, alumna Julie mcelroy has chalked up a remarkable list of achievements. Words olga Wojtas | Photography mark seager

inSPiRing alumni

UWS Alumni Magazine / insPirinG alUmni / 11

I intend to grab every opportunity that comes along, to prove to myself and others that if you set your mind to achieve anything in life, you can overcome any obstacles.

It was an incredible atmosphere — it felt like a hero’s welcome!

For a 26 year-old, alumna Julie McElroy has chalked up a remarkable list of achievements in her life so far, and has many more life-changing ambitions that she wants to achieve.

She is a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award recipient, she has trekked through the Andes and the Himalayas, canoed the length of Loch Shiel, reached the summit of Ben Lomond, and last month took part in the Great Scottish Run 10k in Glasgow, all for charity.

But what makes this a truly remarkable story is that Julie was born with cerebral palsy and doctors told her parents she would probably spend her life in a wheelchair. At the age of five years old, she was also diagnosed as profoundly deaf.

Julie, a vivacious, engaging young woman, says: “I don’t see myself as disabled any more. I’ve come to terms with it.”

What she has achieved is a tribute to her courage, her indomitable spirit, and her point-blank refusal to accept that anything is beyond her. Her parents were very supportive and wanted her to do as well as possible academically, so they sent her to a special needs school in her home city of Glasgow.

There, she was in a class of only 8 pupils as opposed to a class of 30 as she would have been in mainstream education alongside her twin sister Amy.

Amy and their elder brother Charles always inspired Julie to do more and aim for what they had achieved, she says. She is delighted, for example, that she followed her sister in passing her driving test, since her specially-adapted car very much supports her independence.

At school, shortly after her deafness had been diagnosed, a whole new world of advanced technological communications opened up to her through Apple Macs, PCs and the internet. She and her classmates participated in a project by BT involving Glasgow’s Yorkhill Hospital, which meant the children could keep in touch with one another even when their disabilities meant they had to be hospitalised.

It’s not surprising that when Julie left school, she decided to study Information Technology. She went first to Cardonald College in Glasgow, where she was the only girl among 20 boys.

cvJulie mcelroy• 1997–2003:AshcraigSchool,Glasgow

• 2006:HNDInformationTechnology,cardonald college, glasgow

• 2006:Successfullygainsentrytothirdyearofinformation technology degree course at uWS

• 2007:250-miletrekthroughtheAndes

• 2008:DukeofEdinburghGoldAward

• 2010:GraduateswithanHonoursDegreeininformation technology, winning a university court medal for the highest achieving student

• 2011:Himalayantrekandworkingwithdisabled children in the slums of Delhi

• 2011:VisittoNo.10DowningStreet,London,to meet Prime minister’s wife, Samantha cameron

• April2012:ReceivesLordProvostofGlasgow’sinspiring individual award

• May2012:WinnerofAdultLearner of the year award

• June2012:TorchbearerforLondon2012Olympics in glasgow

• Sept2012:GreatScottishRun10k,Glasgow

Julie carrying the Flame for london 2012 games through the streets of glasgow

inSPiRing alumni

12 / insPirinG alUmni / UWS Alumni Magazine

The QuietphilanthropiStAlumnus les hutchison talks about his global engineering career and his desire to give back to the university.Words olga Wojtas | Photography neil thomas douglas

inSPiRing alumni

UWS Alumni Magazine / insPirinG alUmni / 13

Lanarkshire-born businessman Les Hutchison is a quiet philanthropist. He has a strong belief in “giving something back,” but he does it without fanfare. He has, however,

made an exception for his recent very generous financial donation to University activity, by allowing us to feature him in this article in the hope that it will inspire others in his position to follow his example.

“My task is not only to help the University directly, but to encourage other alumni like me to come forward,” he explains.

Les, who is currently Vice Chair and a Director of the Canadian energy services company, ShawCor Ltd, left Bell College of Technology (now part of UWS) with an HNC Electrical Engineering and completed an additional Higher Supplementary Control Systems and Mathematics at the College in 1975.

“Bell has played a big part in my successful career. It not only gave me engineering expertise, but it also gave me the skills to problem-solve, and that was invaluable when I moved into a competitive business environment.”

Les has gifted more than £100,000 to the University’s Hamilton Campus, and is keen to ensure that his contribution is of direct benefit to students.

He has established the annual Hutchison Prize for Engineering which awards £5,000 to the best student in the University’s Mechatronics programme; Les is also funding new equipment for the Mechatronics course to the tune of £78,000.

Les is a strong believer in the power of education and the influence it can have on an individual’s future career and on the economic, social and cultural development of Scotland. “Education gives people new skills, and what is vital is that these skills are then used once they enter their chosen profession allowing them to achieve their full potential.”

“I wanted to give something back to engineering, and do something for the people who helped me.”

Les now lives principally in Barbados, but he retains a strong and passionate commitment to Scotland. He owns a 200-year-old house, which was built for a sea captain in Bothwell, Lanarkshire and is where he was born and brought up. His sister, a retired senior nurse, and his daughter live nearby with their families: Les is the proud grandfather of three grandsons — a seven-year-old and five-year-old twins.

His father worked for British Rail, which enabled the family to travel for free throughout Europe.

“It was great for us, and helped us get the travel bug. It’s where my sense of adventure came from,” says Les, whose career has taken him across the globe, from the Middle East and America to Russia and China.

“China has become one of my favourite countries. I love the people, the country, the culture and, of course, the food.”

Les enjoyed his schooldays at Uddingston Grammar School. He was keen on sport, including table tennis, badminton and in particular golf, which he played at Bothwell Castle Golf Club. He was in the first team for cricket, and also the first team for football, where he was the goalkeeper. Other team members included Ian Smith, brother of Walter Smith, the former manager of Rangers Football Club in Glasgow.”

“We worked really well as a team — there were no prima donnas,” he remembers. “It was a very, very good football team, but in various competitions, we were always just beaten by Dalziel High

School in Motherwell with Willie Pettigrew as their centre forward, who later played for Motherwell and Scotland. But we did beat the Scottish School Boys 3-2 once.”

Although most of his schoolmates detested maths and physics, these were the subjects Les liked most. His elder brother, who sadly died aged 27, became an electrical engineer, and a close family friend was also an electrical engineer, so Les was drawn to this profession at an early age.

After secondary school, he joined British Steel as a Technical Electrical Engineer Apprentice at their Clydesdale Works in Bellshill, and the company sponsored him to study at Bell College.

“On the course, what I remember most was a lot of hard work,” he says. “But fortunately, my passion for maths and physics stood me in good stead. I went straight through the Ordinary National Certificate and Higher National Certificate (HNC) Electrical Engineering, and then went on to take an additional Higher Supplementary Control Systems and Mathematics, all without any re-sits, thank goodness.”

Bell College had just opened, and he found it a pleasant environment to study in. When he returned in May this year to visit the University’s Hamilton Campus, he confessed to “a serious feeling of déjà vu”. Over three decades later, the campus now boasts a brand new £2.5 million Centre for Engineering Excellence, providing students with industry-standard facilities.

“It was particularly pleasing to see the new centre,” says Les. “What’s encouraging is that the University has very, very close links with industry and is very aware of the skills that industry is now looking for. I’m pleased to hear that there’s a much closer link between education and industry and would encourage this to continue. That critical alliance should be continually fostered and reviewed.”

While Les found British Steel “a fantastic employer,” he could see the demise of the steelworks begin, and the quality of projects he was working on deteriorated.

my task is not only to help the university directly, but to encourage other alumni like me to come forward.

inSPiRing alumni

12 / insPirinG alUmni / UWS Alumni Magazine

The QuietphilanthropiStAlumnus les hutchison talks about his global engineering career and his desire to give back to the university.Words olga Wojtas | Photography neil thomas douglas

inSPiRing alumni

UWS Alumni Magazine / insPirinG alUmni / 13

Lanarkshire-born businessman Les Hutchison is a quiet philanthropist. He has a strong belief in “giving something back,” but he does it without fanfare. He has, however,

made an exception for his recent very generous financial donation to University activity, by allowing us to feature him in this article in the hope that it will inspire others in his position to follow his example.

“My task is not only to help the University directly, but to encourage other alumni like me to come forward,” he explains.

Les, who is currently Vice Chair and a Director of the Canadian energy services company, ShawCor Ltd, left Bell College of Technology (now part of UWS) with an HNC Electrical Engineering and completed an additional Higher Supplementary Control Systems and Mathematics at the College in 1975.

“Bell has played a big part in my successful career. It not only gave me engineering expertise, but it also gave me the skills to problem-solve, and that was invaluable when I moved into a competitive business environment.”

Les has gifted more than £100,000 to the University’s Hamilton Campus, and is keen to ensure that his contribution is of direct benefit to students.

He has established the annual Hutchison Prize for Engineering which awards £5,000 to the best student in the University’s Mechatronics programme; Les is also funding new equipment for the Mechatronics course to the tune of £78,000.

Les is a strong believer in the power of education and the influence it can have on an individual’s future career and on the economic, social and cultural development of Scotland. “Education gives people new skills, and what is vital is that these skills are then used once they enter their chosen profession allowing them to achieve their full potential.”

“I wanted to give something back to engineering, and do something for the people who helped me.”

Les now lives principally in Barbados, but he retains a strong and passionate commitment to Scotland. He owns a 200-year-old house, which was built for a sea captain in Bothwell, Lanarkshire and is where he was born and brought up. His sister, a retired senior nurse, and his daughter live nearby with their families: Les is the proud grandfather of three grandsons — a seven-year-old and five-year-old twins.

His father worked for British Rail, which enabled the family to travel for free throughout Europe.

“It was great for us, and helped us get the travel bug. It’s where my sense of adventure came from,” says Les, whose career has taken him across the globe, from the Middle East and America to Russia and China.

“China has become one of my favourite countries. I love the people, the country, the culture and, of course, the food.”

Les enjoyed his schooldays at Uddingston Grammar School. He was keen on sport, including table tennis, badminton and in particular golf, which he played at Bothwell Castle Golf Club. He was in the first team for cricket, and also the first team for football, where he was the goalkeeper. Other team members included Ian Smith, brother of Walter Smith, the former manager of Rangers Football Club in Glasgow.”

“We worked really well as a team — there were no prima donnas,” he remembers. “It was a very, very good football team, but in various competitions, we were always just beaten by Dalziel High

School in Motherwell with Willie Pettigrew as their centre forward, who later played for Motherwell and Scotland. But we did beat the Scottish School Boys 3-2 once.”

Although most of his schoolmates detested maths and physics, these were the subjects Les liked most. His elder brother, who sadly died aged 27, became an electrical engineer, and a close family friend was also an electrical engineer, so Les was drawn to this profession at an early age.

After secondary school, he joined British Steel as a Technical Electrical Engineer Apprentice at their Clydesdale Works in Bellshill, and the company sponsored him to study at Bell College.

“On the course, what I remember most was a lot of hard work,” he says. “But fortunately, my passion for maths and physics stood me in good stead. I went straight through the Ordinary National Certificate and Higher National Certificate (HNC) Electrical Engineering, and then went on to take an additional Higher Supplementary Control Systems and Mathematics, all without any re-sits, thank goodness.”

Bell College had just opened, and he found it a pleasant environment to study in. When he returned in May this year to visit the University’s Hamilton Campus, he confessed to “a serious feeling of déjà vu”. Over three decades later, the campus now boasts a brand new £2.5 million Centre for Engineering Excellence, providing students with industry-standard facilities.

“It was particularly pleasing to see the new centre,” says Les. “What’s encouraging is that the University has very, very close links with industry and is very aware of the skills that industry is now looking for. I’m pleased to hear that there’s a much closer link between education and industry and would encourage this to continue. That critical alliance should be continually fostered and reviewed.”

While Les found British Steel “a fantastic employer,” he could see the demise of the steelworks begin, and the quality of projects he was working on deteriorated.

my task is not only to help the university directly, but to encourage other alumni like me to come forward.

inSPiRing alumni

14 / insPirinG alUmni / UWS Alumni Magazine

“For me, the proudest thing is giving back,” he says.

It is a philosophy shared by his wife, Virginia Shaw, Chair of ShawCor Ltd, who is also a committed philanthropist. Formerly a Director of Ten Thousand Villages USA and Canada for nine years, Virginia supported the non-profit fair trade organisation, which sells handicrafts made by disadvantaged artisans in developing countries worldwide.

But Les still allows some time for hobbies. He remains a keen golfer, and is a member of two golf clubs - one in Barbados and one in Canada. In Scotland, he is a member of Loch Lomond Golf Club, and Bothwell Castle, where he played as a schoolboy. Another passion is playing six string acoustic guitars — he now owns five of rock legend Eric Clapton’s guitars. He is also a keen collector of old motorcycles.

He has some simple words of advice for UWS students and graduates, who he hopes will be encouraged to follow his success in his business career.

“Work hard. I have never found a substitute. And think in a global context. Scotland has five million people. You get five million people in one city in the United States,” he says.

“Scotland can no longer be the low-cost provider of products. There are strong low- cost worldwide competitors to Scotland now, such as China and Korea. What that means is for Scotland to be successful and competitive on a world stage, it must have a much stronger educational and entrepreneurial base. Education in my opinion is absolutely vital for the future growth and health of Scotland.”

Thanks to Les Hutchison’s generosity, education at UWS continues to be at the cutting edge of technology. “I am happy that I have been able to make a significant contribution back to the University and its students. I sincerely hope this will encourage other successful alumni to follow my example.”

He was successful in moving to a number of other major engineering companies in Lanarkshire, and began building up a wealth of experience through posts that included: Project Manager with Motherwell Bridge; followed by Works Manager (Electrical), then Production Director at Anderson Strathclyde.

After experience in these posts, he decided to establish his own consultancy company, working with Lanarkshire companies to ensure they would survive when the Ravenscraig Steelworks finally closed in 1992. However, he sorely missed being at the front end of decision-making, and was eventually headhunted back into industry.

Over the early stages of his career, Les had built up a strong reputation for turning struggling companies around, and this led to him being headhunted by ShawCor Ltd in 1998. Since joining the company, he has held a number of senior management positions, but his biggest highlight, was working as Vice President of the Shaw Pipeline Services Division.

When he was first appointed, the company was losing millions of dollars, but he managed to transform its fortunes to become the group’s biggest earner. When Les joined the company 14 years ago, ShawCor’s Group revenue was Canadian $600m (£381m). Its turnover is now Canadian $1.3 billion (£826m).

ShawCor Ltd is a global energy services company, specialising in technology-based products and services for the pipeline and pipe services petrochemical industry. The company operates through seven divisions, employs over 5,000 employees and operates more than 70 manufacturing and service facilities in 20 countries worldwide. The company is recognised as a world leader in most of the areas it operates in.

Throughout his career, Les has always maintained his strong links with Scotland. While he was based in Houston, Texas, he was appointed a GlobalScot by the then First Minister Jack McConnell. The GlobalScot initiative aims to boost Scotland’s standing in the international business community, encourage an entrepreneurial spirit in school children and growing businesses, through a worldwide network of outstanding Scots, who can offer advice, contacts and support.

Houston proved to be one of the most active GlobalScot groups in the world, with Les working alongside colleagues such as his friend Derek Blackwood, President of Wood Group USA. Their work included inspiring Scottish schoolchildren by bringing them over to the USA to spend time at NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), the government agency responsible for scientific and technological research in space.

Les also became a core founder of the Saltire Foundation — the Scottish Enterprise initiative to create more Scottish entrepreneurs by giving international business training experience to undergraduate and postgraduate students in education.

cvles hutchison

Born and raised in Bothwell, South lanarkshire

SecondaryEducation: uddingston grammar School

Joined British Steel as technical electrical engineer Apprentice–1972

hnc electrical engineering, Bell college ofTechnology–1974

hS control Systems and mathematics, BellCollegeofTechnology–1975

EarlyCareerPosts:ProjectManager, motherwell Bridge; Works manager (electrical) and then Production Director, anderson StrathclydeDates1979–1989

Joined Shawcor ltd as general manager ofOmscoDivision–1998

vice President and general manager of Shaw PipelineServices2001–2008

Senior vice President of Bredero Shaw 2005–2008

appointed globalScot by Scotland’sFirstMinister–2002

ViceChairandDirectorofShawCorLtd–2008

Shawcor ltd is located in toronto, canada www.shawcor.com

If you would like to contribute to University activity, either in-kind, by supporting our students at careers-talks and events or provide job opportunities for our graduates or if you wish to make a financial contribution, please contact:

Alumni and Development at the University

T: +44 (0)141 848 3336 E: alumni@uws.ac.uk

Image (L–R) : Professor Roddy Williamson, vice Principal (Research and commercialisation) and executive Dean for Faculty of Science and technology, les hutchison and David Smyth, HeadofSchoolofEngineering.

University of the West of Scotland is a leader in many areas of Higher Education, and nowhere more so than in caring and providing support to its students.

Four years ago, Professor Anne McGillivray was appointed to the pioneering post of Dean of Students, with the aim of ensuring that every student has the best possible ’experience’ at the University.

“That’s at the heart of what we do — it’s in our mission statement,” she says. “I love my job. I have overall control of how the whole University engages with students, and I am determined to ensure the University continually improves ‘the student experience’. I enjoy identifying issues and implementing solutions to make things better.”

Last year, the University underwent an Enhancement Led Institution Review (ELIR) by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). This detailed review monitors the quality of Higher Education provision by all of Scotland’s universities on a regular basis, assessing academic standards and the “student learning experience”. UWS were awarded the highest possible ‘confidence’ rating. However, Anne is well aware the institution cannot rest on its laurels, and it is her job to continually seek improvement in caring and supporting all its students.

Anne has been at the University for 15 years and has seen it expand since the merger of the former University of Paisley and Bell College in 2007 to establish campuses in Ayr, Dumfries, Hamilton and Paisley. “Our students all feel they are UWS students, irrespective of which campus they study at,” she says.

The University now has around 20,000 students, 40 per cent of them studying part-time.

“We’re very flexible,” Anne says. “Different study options suit different people. Some study in the evening, some such as those on the online teaching programme, who utilise distance learning and online networks. Some students might not be studying towards a degree, but instead select specific modules to help them build towards a career enhancing qualification. We refer to them as our Lifelong Learners, and like any other student, they have access to all the facilities and support mechanisms, such as careers advice and pastoral care.”

The University has developed a series of “First Steps” modules, specifically designed to allow adults who have not experienced education for some time, to ‘dip their toe in the water’ and establish if Higher Education is for them.

“We have students who have started off on those modules and gone on to successfully obtain a degree. Doing that on a part-time basis is quite phenomenal, because it’s a long journey to start from scratch — it’s very exciting to see those students graduate” she says.

“There are also students who come in with Higher National Certificates and Higher National Diplomas, gaining credit for what they have already achieved. UWS is an acknowledged leader in recognising prior learning — particularly helpful for adult learners, who want to get a degree as quickly as possible. Our students are not only entering into first year, but also into second and third year and even at postgraduate level.”

Over recent years the University has seen the introduction of a very popular “Student Buddy System”, for every new student who wishes it. The “Buddy” is an older experienced student who looks after the new entrant throughout the first semester. Anne says the scheme is particularly useful for international students — many then become “Buddies” to local Scottish students.

Anne has been instrumental in re-focusing care and support for students by introducing ‘The Student Link’ — a one-stop shop for information and advice, which operates across all four UWS campuses. Students can access it in person or online, seeking help with problems ranging from finance, to re-sits, to welfare issues. A recent innovation is giving every student a personal tutor, to help tackle any problems as early as possible. Students may have to leave for personal reasons unrelated to their course, and Anne says they can be reassured that they can return when their circumstances change. Students who find they have picked the wrong course can be guided towards a better choice.

“We have a fantastic relationship with our Students’ Association, and they really engage in our mission,” says Anne. “They’re very much part of informing our decision-making, and there’s a Student Experience Committee, co-chaired by the Student President and myself. Learning and teaching is a huge amount of what the students do, but everything around it is equally important, such as their accommodation, their ICT connection and their social life.”

“I look forward to continuing to work closely with all of our students, to ensure that they have access to the right care and support, when they need it.”

univeRSity PROFile

UWS Alumni Magazine / University Profile / 15

mission To careProfessor anne mcGillivray, Dean of Students, speaks of the university’s total commitment to caring and supporting its students Words olga Wojtas | Photography mark seager

inSPiRing alumni

14 / insPirinG alUmni / UWS Alumni Magazine

“For me, the proudest thing is giving back,” he says.

It is a philosophy shared by his wife, Virginia Shaw, Chair of ShawCor Ltd, who is also a committed philanthropist. Formerly a Director of Ten Thousand Villages USA and Canada for nine years, Virginia supported the non-profit fair trade organisation, which sells handicrafts made by disadvantaged artisans in developing countries worldwide.

But Les still allows some time for hobbies. He remains a keen golfer, and is a member of two golf clubs - one in Barbados and one in Canada. In Scotland, he is a member of Loch Lomond Golf Club, and Bothwell Castle, where he played as a schoolboy. Another passion is playing six string acoustic guitars — he now owns five of rock legend Eric Clapton’s guitars. He is also a keen collector of old motorcycles.

He has some simple words of advice for UWS students and graduates, who he hopes will be encouraged to follow his success in his business career.

“Work hard. I have never found a substitute. And think in a global context. Scotland has five million people. You get five million people in one city in the United States,” he says.

“Scotland can no longer be the low-cost provider of products. There are strong low- cost worldwide competitors to Scotland now, such as China and Korea. What that means is for Scotland to be successful and competitive on a world stage, it must have a much stronger educational and entrepreneurial base. Education in my opinion is absolutely vital for the future growth and health of Scotland.”

Thanks to Les Hutchison’s generosity, education at UWS continues to be at the cutting edge of technology. “I am happy that I have been able to make a significant contribution back to the University and its students. I sincerely hope this will encourage other successful alumni to follow my example.”

He was successful in moving to a number of other major engineering companies in Lanarkshire, and began building up a wealth of experience through posts that included: Project Manager with Motherwell Bridge; followed by Works Manager (Electrical), then Production Director at Anderson Strathclyde.

After experience in these posts, he decided to establish his own consultancy company, working with Lanarkshire companies to ensure they would survive when the Ravenscraig Steelworks finally closed in 1992. However, he sorely missed being at the front end of decision-making, and was eventually headhunted back into industry.

Over the early stages of his career, Les had built up a strong reputation for turning struggling companies around, and this led to him being headhunted by ShawCor Ltd in 1998. Since joining the company, he has held a number of senior management positions, but his biggest highlight, was working as Vice President of the Shaw Pipeline Services Division.

When he was first appointed, the company was losing millions of dollars, but he managed to transform its fortunes to become the group’s biggest earner. When Les joined the company 14 years ago, ShawCor’s Group revenue was Canadian $600m (£381m). Its turnover is now Canadian $1.3 billion (£826m).

ShawCor Ltd is a global energy services company, specialising in technology-based products and services for the pipeline and pipe services petrochemical industry. The company operates through seven divisions, employs over 5,000 employees and operates more than 70 manufacturing and service facilities in 20 countries worldwide. The company is recognised as a world leader in most of the areas it operates in.

Throughout his career, Les has always maintained his strong links with Scotland. While he was based in Houston, Texas, he was appointed a GlobalScot by the then First Minister Jack McConnell. The GlobalScot initiative aims to boost Scotland’s standing in the international business community, encourage an entrepreneurial spirit in school children and growing businesses, through a worldwide network of outstanding Scots, who can offer advice, contacts and support.

Houston proved to be one of the most active GlobalScot groups in the world, with Les working alongside colleagues such as his friend Derek Blackwood, President of Wood Group USA. Their work included inspiring Scottish schoolchildren by bringing them over to the USA to spend time at NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), the government agency responsible for scientific and technological research in space.

Les also became a core founder of the Saltire Foundation — the Scottish Enterprise initiative to create more Scottish entrepreneurs by giving international business training experience to undergraduate and postgraduate students in education.

cvles hutchison

Born and raised in Bothwell, South lanarkshire

SecondaryEducation: uddingston grammar School

Joined British Steel as technical electrical engineer Apprentice–1972

hnc electrical engineering, Bell college ofTechnology–1974

hS control Systems and mathematics, BellCollegeofTechnology–1975

EarlyCareerPosts:ProjectManager, motherwell Bridge; Works manager (electrical) and then Production Director, anderson StrathclydeDates1979–1989

Joined Shawcor ltd as general manager ofOmscoDivision–1998

vice President and general manager of Shaw PipelineServices2001–2008

Senior vice President of Bredero Shaw 2005–2008

appointed globalScot by Scotland’sFirstMinister–2002

ViceChairandDirectorofShawCorLtd–2008

Shawcor ltd is located in toronto, canada www.shawcor.com

If you would like to contribute to University activity, either in-kind, by supporting our students at careers-talks and events or provide job opportunities for our graduates or if you wish to make a financial contribution, please contact:

Alumni and Development at the University

T: +44 (0)141 848 3336 E: alumni@uws.ac.uk

Image (L–R) : Professor Roddy Williamson, vice Principal (Research and commercialisation) and executive Dean for Faculty of Science and technology, les hutchison and David Smyth, HeadofSchoolofEngineering.

University of the West of Scotland is a leader in many areas of Higher Education, and nowhere more so than in caring and providing support to its students.

Four years ago, Professor Anne McGillivray was appointed to the pioneering post of Dean of Students, with the aim of ensuring that every student has the best possible ’experience’ at the University.

“That’s at the heart of what we do — it’s in our mission statement,” she says. “I love my job. I have overall control of how the whole University engages with students, and I am determined to ensure the University continually improves ‘the student experience’. I enjoy identifying issues and implementing solutions to make things better.”

Last year, the University underwent an Enhancement Led Institution Review (ELIR) by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). This detailed review monitors the quality of Higher Education provision by all of Scotland’s universities on a regular basis, assessing academic standards and the “student learning experience”. UWS were awarded the highest possible ‘confidence’ rating. However, Anne is well aware the institution cannot rest on its laurels, and it is her job to continually seek improvement in caring and supporting all its students.

Anne has been at the University for 15 years and has seen it expand since the merger of the former University of Paisley and Bell College in 2007 to establish campuses in Ayr, Dumfries, Hamilton and Paisley. “Our students all feel they are UWS students, irrespective of which campus they study at,” she says.

The University now has around 20,000 students, 40 per cent of them studying part-time.

“We’re very flexible,” Anne says. “Different study options suit different people. Some study in the evening, some such as those on the online teaching programme, who utilise distance learning and online networks. Some students might not be studying towards a degree, but instead select specific modules to help them build towards a career enhancing qualification. We refer to them as our Lifelong Learners, and like any other student, they have access to all the facilities and support mechanisms, such as careers advice and pastoral care.”

The University has developed a series of “First Steps” modules, specifically designed to allow adults who have not experienced education for some time, to ‘dip their toe in the water’ and establish if Higher Education is for them.

“We have students who have started off on those modules and gone on to successfully obtain a degree. Doing that on a part-time basis is quite phenomenal, because it’s a long journey to start from scratch — it’s very exciting to see those students graduate” she says.

“There are also students who come in with Higher National Certificates and Higher National Diplomas, gaining credit for what they have already achieved. UWS is an acknowledged leader in recognising prior learning — particularly helpful for adult learners, who want to get a degree as quickly as possible. Our students are not only entering into first year, but also into second and third year and even at postgraduate level.”

Over recent years the University has seen the introduction of a very popular “Student Buddy System”, for every new student who wishes it. The “Buddy” is an older experienced student who looks after the new entrant throughout the first semester. Anne says the scheme is particularly useful for international students — many then become “Buddies” to local Scottish students.

Anne has been instrumental in re-focusing care and support for students by introducing ‘The Student Link’ — a one-stop shop for information and advice, which operates across all four UWS campuses. Students can access it in person or online, seeking help with problems ranging from finance, to re-sits, to welfare issues. A recent innovation is giving every student a personal tutor, to help tackle any problems as early as possible. Students may have to leave for personal reasons unrelated to their course, and Anne says they can be reassured that they can return when their circumstances change. Students who find they have picked the wrong course can be guided towards a better choice.

“We have a fantastic relationship with our Students’ Association, and they really engage in our mission,” says Anne. “They’re very much part of informing our decision-making, and there’s a Student Experience Committee, co-chaired by the Student President and myself. Learning and teaching is a huge amount of what the students do, but everything around it is equally important, such as their accommodation, their ICT connection and their social life.”

“I look forward to continuing to work closely with all of our students, to ensure that they have access to the right care and support, when they need it.”

univeRSity PROFile

UWS Alumni Magazine / University Profile / 15

mission To careProfessor anne mcGillivray, Dean of Students, speaks of the university’s total commitment to caring and supporting its students Words olga Wojtas | Photography mark seager

alumni PROFileS

lucy WhytePostgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism, Class of 2008During my first degree, English Literature, I got involved in student radio and knew I wanted to study Broadcast Journalism. I did work experience with Radio Tay and Real Radio and everyone told me I should study the UWS’s Diploma in Broadcast Journalism, a lot of people in the newsrooms had qualified with it.

I enjoyed the fact that I didn’t feel like a student; I felt I was training for work. Every day, I was picking up another skill that meant I would be more attractive to employers when I qualified. It was a really hands-on course. There was classroom-based study, such as law: employers knew when they were hiring us that we knew all about the legal aspects of the job as well.

The Diploma definitely helped me get my first job on Radio Clyde having had practical work experience during the course. I spent four years on Clyde and had a really good time. But I always wanted to present on TV and for the past six months, I’ve been working for STV News. I hope to keep improving my skills base and be more of an all-round journalist. I work shifts, like a lot of journalists, and when I have free time I love to go to the gym and catch up with family and friends.

Phil PrenticeBA Business and management, Class of 1994I had a degree in Distribution Studies from a university in Ireland and had been working for the Legal Aid Board in the south of England, but I wanted a career change and a new qualification.

Scotland really appealed to me, and the then University of Paisley (now UWS) offered a lot of new degrees in a range of different subject areas, as well as a good quality of life, being located close to the vibrant city of Glasgow.

The course provided me with a very clear focus for what I wanted to do, which was management and economic development. My qualification opened the first door to my new career, and led to me obtaining a job with Scottish Enterprise. I managed to progress to senior executive level, supervising a staff of 50 and was directly responsible for a budget of £6 million.

I’m now Economic Development & Regeneration Manager for East Renfrewshire Council, a job that I absolutely love. I have gained Postgraduate and MSc qualifications over the years since Paisley and even returned briefly in 2005 to undertake a property law course!

Most evenings I go for a hill walk. I’m also regularly spotted along the Firth of Clyde in a bright yellow kayak, bravely paddling the waves.

davie clark Postgraduate Diploma in education (Secondary maths), Class of 2009I was always interested in teaching, but after I graduated in Combined Chemistry and Physics, I had just started a family, and needed to get a job. I worked in a distillery in Girvan, for ten years, and then applied to study the UWS Diploma in Education to change my career direction.

I chose UWS, and Maths, because I’d always had a keen interest in the subject, and there was a strong element of Maths in my degree. The students on the course were split between those just out of university and mature students like me. What I enjoyed most were the work placements on the course, going into schools and taking classes and learning from experienced teachers. The Diploma was an essential qualification for going into teaching, and gave me access to a guaranteed probation year at Carrick Academy in Maybole, in Ayrshire. I couldn’t have asked for a better start, because the course and my year of teaching experience gave me the confidence to apply for jobs against qualified teachers. I now have a permanent post in the Maths Department at Viewforth High School in Kirkcaldy. To relax, I really enjoy running marathons and cycling. Some of the pupils think the cycling’s cool, and some think it’s hysterical, seeing me on a bike!

Where are they now?olga Wojtas discovers how three Alumni have developed their careers, since graduation.

steve cloeteBa human Resources Classof2006Zimbabwean Steve Cloete and his wife Moira left their homeland in 2001, forced out by the stresses of the oppressive political situation.

“We came to Scotland because it really is a very nice country with absolutely superb people. It’s got a fantastic history of being independent and different.”

Steve, then in his late 40s, had worked for many years in Zimbabwe for the multinational company Anglo American plc, including in their corporate training and development centre, as well as at Bindura Nickel Corporation, Hippo Valley Estates and Zimbabwe Alloys Ltd. In addition, he also worked for Ernst and Young.

He managed the Human Resources function for 2,000 employees of the company, covering employee development, employee relations, and recruitment. He had run a Graduate Development Programme for around 30 multi-disciplinary graduates, and had been involved in various organisational development and change-management projects focusing on training and development interventions, quality management and continuous improvement.

“Later in my career, whilst working for the organisation’s training company, I also had the joy of working with UNICEF, developing and presenting training across Africa, and have, in addition, worked with other aid organisations such as Care International and World Vision.”

But when Steve came to Scotland and found a temporary position as a Personnel Adviser with North Ayrshire Council in Irvine, he discovered that although he had a number of South African qualifications, these were not fully recognised in this country. He needed to obtain a recognised degree qualification in Human Resources, if he wanted to continue developing his career in Scotland.

He visited several universities, but when he arrived at UWS, (then, the University of Paisley) what impressed him most was its flexible approach to learning, which allowed him to take classes part-time in the evening.

“First and foremost, I had to work, and this flexibility to my study needs let me work while studying part-time.” he says.

The University also provided an opportunity to recognise some of the previous qualifications he had obtained and the degree comprised traditional modules and included an Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) and Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL).

“The University’s ability to adapt to the individual study needs of the student and be flexible is a great strength. I have received a great deal of support and understanding about my circumstances from the University.”

Steve would work during the day until 5pm and then get the train to Paisley for 7pm lectures.

The time spent undertaking this flexible and part–time study was, as expected, hard work, but very rewarding. Interacting with both mature and younger students from different backgrounds, he found very valuable. In addition, the lecturers added to the positive learning environment and were very professional in their sharing of knowledge.

Iain Maitland, Senior Education Adviser at UWS, says: “Steve was a great student to work with. He has a very interesting background and his situation demanded that we take a flexible approach to the planning of his programme. I was delighted to be able to support him through his programme and I was always impressed with the high level of work that he produced.”

Steve graduated in 2006 with a BA Human Resources Management after only 3½ years of part-time study and as a result became a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD). He is now employed as a Policy and Performance Officer at North Ayrshire Council, and states that his career in Scotland would not have been so successful without the degree and the support received from UWS.

“I am happy with my new life in Scotland and glad that I have managed to obtain a degree, and secure my future career. I am very grateful for the support that the University gave during my studies and I am thoroughly enjoying my job at the council.”

inSPiRing alumni

Life-Changing alumni ProfileWords olga Wojtas | Photography mark seager

The university’s ability to adapt to the individual study needs of the student and be flexible is a great strength.

UWS Alumni Magazine / alUmni Profiles / 17

alumni PROFileS

lucy WhytePostgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism, Class of 2008During my first degree, English Literature, I got involved in student radio and knew I wanted to study Broadcast Journalism. I did work experience with Radio Tay and Real Radio and everyone told me I should study the UWS’s Diploma in Broadcast Journalism, a lot of people in the newsrooms had qualified with it.

I enjoyed the fact that I didn’t feel like a student; I felt I was training for work. Every day, I was picking up another skill that meant I would be more attractive to employers when I qualified. It was a really hands-on course. There was classroom-based study, such as law: employers knew when they were hiring us that we knew all about the legal aspects of the job as well.

The Diploma definitely helped me get my first job on Radio Clyde having had practical work experience during the course. I spent four years on Clyde and had a really good time. But I always wanted to present on TV and for the past six months, I’ve been working for STV News. I hope to keep improving my skills base and be more of an all-round journalist. I work shifts, like a lot of journalists, and when I have free time I love to go to the gym and catch up with family and friends.

Phil PrenticeBA Business and management, Class of 1994I had a degree in Distribution Studies from a university in Ireland and had been working for the Legal Aid Board in the south of England, but I wanted a career change and a new qualification.

Scotland really appealed to me, and the then University of Paisley (now UWS) offered a lot of new degrees in a range of different subject areas, as well as a good quality of life, being located close to the vibrant city of Glasgow.

The course provided me with a very clear focus for what I wanted to do, which was management and economic development. My qualification opened the first door to my new career, and led to me obtaining a job with Scottish Enterprise. I managed to progress to senior executive level, supervising a staff of 50 and was directly responsible for a budget of £6 million.

I’m now Economic Development & Regeneration Manager for East Renfrewshire Council, a job that I absolutely love. I have gained Postgraduate and MSc qualifications over the years since Paisley and even returned briefly in 2005 to undertake a property law course!

Most evenings I go for a hill walk. I’m also regularly spotted along the Firth of Clyde in a bright yellow kayak, bravely paddling the waves.

davie clark Postgraduate Diploma in education (Secondary maths), Class of 2009I was always interested in teaching, but after I graduated in Combined Chemistry and Physics, I had just started a family, and needed to get a job. I worked in a distillery in Girvan, for ten years, and then applied to study the UWS Diploma in Education to change my career direction.

I chose UWS, and Maths, because I’d always had a keen interest in the subject, and there was a strong element of Maths in my degree. The students on the course were split between those just out of university and mature students like me. What I enjoyed most were the work placements on the course, going into schools and taking classes and learning from experienced teachers. The Diploma was an essential qualification for going into teaching, and gave me access to a guaranteed probation year at Carrick Academy in Maybole, in Ayrshire. I couldn’t have asked for a better start, because the course and my year of teaching experience gave me the confidence to apply for jobs against qualified teachers. I now have a permanent post in the Maths Department at Viewforth High School in Kirkcaldy. To relax, I really enjoy running marathons and cycling. Some of the pupils think the cycling’s cool, and some think it’s hysterical, seeing me on a bike!

Where are they now?olga Wojtas discovers how three Alumni have developed their careers, since graduation.

steve cloeteBa human Resources Classof2006Zimbabwean Steve Cloete and his wife Moira left their homeland in 2001, forced out by the stresses of the oppressive political situation.

“We came to Scotland because it really is a very nice country with absolutely superb people. It’s got a fantastic history of being independent and different.”

Steve, then in his late 40s, had worked for many years in Zimbabwe for the multinational company Anglo American plc, including in their corporate training and development centre, as well as at Bindura Nickel Corporation, Hippo Valley Estates and Zimbabwe Alloys Ltd. In addition, he also worked for Ernst and Young.

He managed the Human Resources function for 2,000 employees of the company, covering employee development, employee relations, and recruitment. He had run a Graduate Development Programme for around 30 multi-disciplinary graduates, and had been involved in various organisational development and change-management projects focusing on training and development interventions, quality management and continuous improvement.

“Later in my career, whilst working for the organisation’s training company, I also had the joy of working with UNICEF, developing and presenting training across Africa, and have, in addition, worked with other aid organisations such as Care International and World Vision.”

But when Steve came to Scotland and found a temporary position as a Personnel Adviser with North Ayrshire Council in Irvine, he discovered that although he had a number of South African qualifications, these were not fully recognised in this country. He needed to obtain a recognised degree qualification in Human Resources, if he wanted to continue developing his career in Scotland.

He visited several universities, but when he arrived at UWS, (then, the University of Paisley) what impressed him most was its flexible approach to learning, which allowed him to take classes part-time in the evening.

“First and foremost, I had to work, and this flexibility to my study needs let me work while studying part-time.” he says.

The University also provided an opportunity to recognise some of the previous qualifications he had obtained and the degree comprised traditional modules and included an Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) and Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL).

“The University’s ability to adapt to the individual study needs of the student and be flexible is a great strength. I have received a great deal of support and understanding about my circumstances from the University.”

Steve would work during the day until 5pm and then get the train to Paisley for 7pm lectures.

The time spent undertaking this flexible and part–time study was, as expected, hard work, but very rewarding. Interacting with both mature and younger students from different backgrounds, he found very valuable. In addition, the lecturers added to the positive learning environment and were very professional in their sharing of knowledge.

Iain Maitland, Senior Education Adviser at UWS, says: “Steve was a great student to work with. He has a very interesting background and his situation demanded that we take a flexible approach to the planning of his programme. I was delighted to be able to support him through his programme and I was always impressed with the high level of work that he produced.”

Steve graduated in 2006 with a BA Human Resources Management after only 3½ years of part-time study and as a result became a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD). He is now employed as a Policy and Performance Officer at North Ayrshire Council, and states that his career in Scotland would not have been so successful without the degree and the support received from UWS.

“I am happy with my new life in Scotland and glad that I have managed to obtain a degree, and secure my future career. I am very grateful for the support that the University gave during my studies and I am thoroughly enjoying my job at the council.”

inSPiRing alumni

Life-Changing alumni ProfileWords olga Wojtas | Photography mark seager

The university’s ability to adapt to the individual study needs of the student and be flexible is a great strength.

UWS Alumni Magazine / alUmni Profiles / 17

When Caroline Kane was in the second year of her Economics degree, Russell Wardrop, the University’s then Director of Placement,

threw a sheaf of lottery tickets in the air and asked the students: “Is that what you’re going to rely on for your future?”

She says: “His mantra was that nobody is automatically entitled to anything in life.” It is a view she agrees with wholeheartedly. Caroline, aged 32, graduated in 2002 with a first class BA Business Economics with Marketing Management. Now Marketing Operations Manager in Edinburgh with Aegon UK, one of the world’s largest life insurance and pensions companies, she has won many accolades in her professional life. But she believes there are no shortcuts and no substitute for commitment and hard work.

Born and brought up in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, Caroline started working while still at high school in Hamilton, spending every

Saturday and Sunday as a Sales Assistant in Weisfeld’s fashion store in Glasgow.

“You should never underestimate the value of the experience a Saturday job gives you, in terms of the ability to interact with people, deal with heated situations, learn the discipline of getting up early in the morning, and deliver certain objectives set by your employer” she says.

Her family background was firmly in the public sector, her mother being a librarian, and her father a construction manager with Glasgow City Council. However, Caroline developed an interest in economics thanks to an eccentric and entertaining teacher, and a careers adviser who pointed her in the direction of, what was then, the University of Paisley.

“I went to an Open Day and liked what I saw. What really appealed to me was the industrial work placement on the course and being able to blend economics with marketing,” she says.

“I joined the course in 1997, and having come from a leafy suburb of south-east Glasgow, meeting people from different cultures and countries made me realise I’d probably lived quite a sheltered existence. A big part of university life was making friends and forming good working relationships as well as personal relationships.”

She also believed it was important to work part-time alongside her studies, doing telemarketing for Uddingston Kwik Fit Insurance Services and Scottish Gas.

“In terms of your own development, there’s a huge amount to be gained from part-time work experience. Particularly in today’s climate, when it’s an incredibly tough job market, this invaluable experience really sets you apart from others.”

inSPiRing alumni

18 / insPirinG alUmni / UWS Alumni Magazine

high-flyer

inSPiRing alumni

UWS Alumni Magazine / insPirinG alUmni / 19

Her motivation shone through, and she was one of only three students out of 80 applicants to win a coveted year-long placement with British Airways (BA). She experienced shift work, including the late shift known as the “V-shift” from 2pm to 11pm.

“I had to adjust my personal life in order to deliver what was asked of me.” she says.

This was in 1999, when BA had a target of getting 50 per cent of its bookings online. Caroline carried out a major ecommerce project on behalf of the company, analysing many thousands of emails from customers, to produce data on how they used the internet, and presenting her findings to BA’s management board.

She earned an academic distinction for her work and BA gave her a flight to Barcelona, as a thank-you. At their annual conference, she also won a lucky draw prize of a holiday to San Francisco, and she and her other placement students were given a free standby flight to Dubai.

Travelling has since become one of her hobbies, along with photography: she enjoys taking European city breaks, and every year she spends a week exploring the beauty of Scotland.

Returning to university after her placement, she took on a second part-time job, working with the Corporate Marketing Department at Paisley. She helped support Open Days, taking people on campus tours, and went out to secondary schools to give talks on student life.

“That was brilliant experience, which I was able to apply when presenting to lecturers and recruiters. It meant I wasn’t intimated by large groups. My advice to young students now is to look actively for work experience opportunities wherever you can find them.”

Her abilities and focus won her a job, as soon as she graduated, as an Economic Development Research Consultant with a leading economic development consultancy in Edinburgh. She then joined the Halifax and Bank of Scotland Graduate Programme, training as a Retail Branch Manager. She achieved a distinction in the Diploma in Specialised Lending from the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland, which she took while working full-time as the bank’s youngest Private Banking Relationship Manager. Rising to become Planning and Communications Manager for the Investment Services Division, she contributed to a 15% increase in staff satisfaction with internal communications, after only six months in the job.

Since 2008, she has worked for Aegon UK in partnership marketing and account management roles. In 2011 she was promoted to Group Marketing Operations Manager. Working directly with the Group Marketing Director, Caroline manages marketing operations for a marketing division of around 150 staff. Despite this demanding job, she decided to study for further qualifications. Probably her proudest moment was when she gained the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s Postgraduate Diploma last year, winning the Top Global Student Award for her dissertation on Marketing Leadership and Planning and gaining Chartered Marketer status.

“There’s a big emphasis on critical thinking within the qualification, which has been very useful,” she says. Aegon UK is now looking at implementing a number of her recommendations.

“To me, maintaining Chartered status via Continuous Professional Development gives you credibility and shows you’re committed to improving yourself,” she says.

“It’s important that you don’t just get your degree and think ‘that’s it’. Learning expires really quickly. Something that will set graduates apart nowadays is flexibility and adaptability. It’s about anticipating emerging themes and trends and asking yourself, how can I set myself and my employer up for success by being ready to respond?”

She has always been a keen photographer, using a digital compact camera. But the Postgraduate Diploma demanded so much hard work and dedication that she promised herself a treat, if she achieved Chartered Marketer status. She now is the proud owner of a stylish Canon digital SLR camera, and with typical enthusiasm has gone on some short training courses to develop her skill.

“I love that feeling of capturing a special moment, but I haven’t really narrowed down my specialism yet. I recently went to the Isle of Skye on holiday and took some dramatic landscape shots — I even got some great close-up shots of friendly Highland cattle in Fort William,” she says.

“I’m fortunate to have had some terrific experiences and opportunities since my time at the University, and I’ve learned that I’m capable of delivering a lot more than I thought I was when I started my degree. I hope that in future I’m lucky enough to continue to enjoy life, learn and grow — professionally and personally”.

olga Wojtas speaks to caroline Kane on her successful career and her determination to succeed. Words olga Wojtas | Photography mark seager

It’s important that you don’t just get your degree and think that’s it. Learning expires really quickly. Something that will set graduates apart nowadays is flexibility and adaptability.

cvcaroline Kane

• EducatedatHolyCrossHighSchool, hamilton, lanarkshire

• BA(Hons)BusinessEconomicswithmarketing management, 2002, university ofPaisley(nowUWS).Graduatedwithfirstclass honours

• Aspartofdegreecourse,1yearplacementwithBritishAirways,2001.Passedplacementwith distinction

• PlanningandCommunicationsManager,halifax and Bank of Scotland (hBOS), 2006-2008

• DiplomainSpecialisedLending,Charteredinstitute of Bankers in Scotland (ciOBS), graduatingwithdistinction,2007

• PostgraduateDiplomainMarketing,CharteredInstituteofMarketing,2011.Wontop global Student award for marketing leadership and Planning dissertation

• MarketingOperationsManager,AegonUK,edinburgh, 2011 to present

Continuing Professional Development gives you credibility and shows you’re committed to improving yourself.

When Caroline Kane was in the second year of her Economics degree, Russell Wardrop, the University’s then Director of Placement,

threw a sheaf of lottery tickets in the air and asked the students: “Is that what you’re going to rely on for your future?”

She says: “His mantra was that nobody is automatically entitled to anything in life.” It is a view she agrees with wholeheartedly. Caroline, aged 32, graduated in 2002 with a first class BA Business Economics with Marketing Management. Now Marketing Operations Manager in Edinburgh with Aegon UK, one of the world’s largest life insurance and pensions companies, she has won many accolades in her professional life. But she believes there are no shortcuts and no substitute for commitment and hard work.

Born and brought up in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, Caroline started working while still at high school in Hamilton, spending every

Saturday and Sunday as a Sales Assistant in Weisfeld’s fashion store in Glasgow.

“You should never underestimate the value of the experience a Saturday job gives you, in terms of the ability to interact with people, deal with heated situations, learn the discipline of getting up early in the morning, and deliver certain objectives set by your employer” she says.

Her family background was firmly in the public sector, her mother being a librarian, and her father a construction manager with Glasgow City Council. However, Caroline developed an interest in economics thanks to an eccentric and entertaining teacher, and a careers adviser who pointed her in the direction of, what was then, the University of Paisley.

“I went to an Open Day and liked what I saw. What really appealed to me was the industrial work placement on the course and being able to blend economics with marketing,” she says.

“I joined the course in 1997, and having come from a leafy suburb of south-east Glasgow, meeting people from different cultures and countries made me realise I’d probably lived quite a sheltered existence. A big part of university life was making friends and forming good working relationships as well as personal relationships.”

She also believed it was important to work part-time alongside her studies, doing telemarketing for Uddingston Kwik Fit Insurance Services and Scottish Gas.

“In terms of your own development, there’s a huge amount to be gained from part-time work experience. Particularly in today’s climate, when it’s an incredibly tough job market, this invaluable experience really sets you apart from others.”

inSPiRing alumni

18 / insPirinG alUmni / UWS Alumni Magazine

high-flyer

inSPiRing alumni

UWS Alumni Magazine / insPirinG alUmni / 19

Her motivation shone through, and she was one of only three students out of 80 applicants to win a coveted year-long placement with British Airways (BA). She experienced shift work, including the late shift known as the “V-shift” from 2pm to 11pm.

“I had to adjust my personal life in order to deliver what was asked of me.” she says.

This was in 1999, when BA had a target of getting 50 per cent of its bookings online. Caroline carried out a major ecommerce project on behalf of the company, analysing many thousands of emails from customers, to produce data on how they used the internet, and presenting her findings to BA’s management board.

She earned an academic distinction for her work and BA gave her a flight to Barcelona, as a thank-you. At their annual conference, she also won a lucky draw prize of a holiday to San Francisco, and she and her other placement students were given a free standby flight to Dubai.

Travelling has since become one of her hobbies, along with photography: she enjoys taking European city breaks, and every year she spends a week exploring the beauty of Scotland.

Returning to university after her placement, she took on a second part-time job, working with the Corporate Marketing Department at Paisley. She helped support Open Days, taking people on campus tours, and went out to secondary schools to give talks on student life.

“That was brilliant experience, which I was able to apply when presenting to lecturers and recruiters. It meant I wasn’t intimated by large groups. My advice to young students now is to look actively for work experience opportunities wherever you can find them.”

Her abilities and focus won her a job, as soon as she graduated, as an Economic Development Research Consultant with a leading economic development consultancy in Edinburgh. She then joined the Halifax and Bank of Scotland Graduate Programme, training as a Retail Branch Manager. She achieved a distinction in the Diploma in Specialised Lending from the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland, which she took while working full-time as the bank’s youngest Private Banking Relationship Manager. Rising to become Planning and Communications Manager for the Investment Services Division, she contributed to a 15% increase in staff satisfaction with internal communications, after only six months in the job.

Since 2008, she has worked for Aegon UK in partnership marketing and account management roles. In 2011 she was promoted to Group Marketing Operations Manager. Working directly with the Group Marketing Director, Caroline manages marketing operations for a marketing division of around 150 staff. Despite this demanding job, she decided to study for further qualifications. Probably her proudest moment was when she gained the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s Postgraduate Diploma last year, winning the Top Global Student Award for her dissertation on Marketing Leadership and Planning and gaining Chartered Marketer status.

“There’s a big emphasis on critical thinking within the qualification, which has been very useful,” she says. Aegon UK is now looking at implementing a number of her recommendations.

“To me, maintaining Chartered status via Continuous Professional Development gives you credibility and shows you’re committed to improving yourself,” she says.

“It’s important that you don’t just get your degree and think ‘that’s it’. Learning expires really quickly. Something that will set graduates apart nowadays is flexibility and adaptability. It’s about anticipating emerging themes and trends and asking yourself, how can I set myself and my employer up for success by being ready to respond?”

She has always been a keen photographer, using a digital compact camera. But the Postgraduate Diploma demanded so much hard work and dedication that she promised herself a treat, if she achieved Chartered Marketer status. She now is the proud owner of a stylish Canon digital SLR camera, and with typical enthusiasm has gone on some short training courses to develop her skill.

“I love that feeling of capturing a special moment, but I haven’t really narrowed down my specialism yet. I recently went to the Isle of Skye on holiday and took some dramatic landscape shots — I even got some great close-up shots of friendly Highland cattle in Fort William,” she says.

“I’m fortunate to have had some terrific experiences and opportunities since my time at the University, and I’ve learned that I’m capable of delivering a lot more than I thought I was when I started my degree. I hope that in future I’m lucky enough to continue to enjoy life, learn and grow — professionally and personally”.

olga Wojtas speaks to caroline Kane on her successful career and her determination to succeed. Words olga Wojtas | Photography mark seager

It’s important that you don’t just get your degree and think that’s it. Learning expires really quickly. Something that will set graduates apart nowadays is flexibility and adaptability.

cvcaroline Kane

• EducatedatHolyCrossHighSchool, hamilton, lanarkshire

• BA(Hons)BusinessEconomicswithmarketing management, 2002, university ofPaisley(nowUWS).Graduatedwithfirstclass honours

• Aspartofdegreecourse,1yearplacementwithBritishAirways,2001.Passedplacementwith distinction

• PlanningandCommunicationsManager,halifax and Bank of Scotland (hBOS), 2006-2008

• DiplomainSpecialisedLending,Charteredinstitute of Bankers in Scotland (ciOBS), graduatingwithdistinction,2007

• PostgraduateDiplomainMarketing,CharteredInstituteofMarketing,2011.Wontop global Student award for marketing leadership and Planning dissertation

• MarketingOperationsManager,AegonUK,edinburgh, 2011 to present

Continuing Professional Development gives you credibility and shows you’re committed to improving yourself.

FeatuRe aRticle

20 / featUre article / UWS Alumni Magazine

FeatuRe aRticle

UWS Alumni Magazine / featUre article / 21

A Room oF Their ownThe university has spent over £20m on new halls of Residence at both Ayr and Paisley Campuses.

two international students tell West why they chose uWS, and what they think of the new halls of Residence. Words olga Wojtas | Photography mark seager & Bob mcdevitt

The University’s stunning new £81 million Ayr Campus, including a new Hall of Residence, is located in a beautiful riverside setting, and was in itself, a draw for

Martinique-born Rosanna Gallon to decide to come to Scotland to further her career ambitions.

“That was one of the reasons I chose UWS, because the campus was new and it seemed really welcoming and modern. The bedrooms are really big and have a lot of storage space — would you believe, I still have empty shelves! Everything is very bright, because all of the windows in the building, are full-length floor to ceiling,” she says.

“It’s a really nice campus, scenic and picturesque. I felt this was my home after only two days. There’s a common room where you can play pool and watch TV. You make friends really quickly. I really like all my flatmates: there are two students from Scotland, one from Donegal in Ireland, and one from Essex in England.”

Rosanna, whose father is French and mother is Irish, has come to UWS from Paris, and is completely bilingual in English and French. She was surprised to find so many other French students on campus.

“I was expecting only mainly Scottish students, but I’ve met people from Lithuania, Canada and many other countries. I like the mix of cultures.”

She admits that another attraction to studying in Scotland, was the fact that European students have their university tuition fees paid by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland — her older brother is currently in his final year at a university in Glasgow where he is studying English Literature and Film and Television Studies. Rosanna is studying for a BA Film-making and Screen-writing.

“I really love Scotland, so it’s just perfect that I can come here and study for my degree and further my career,” says Rosanna.

“I wanted to study something like literature, but then changed direction and was attracted to a career in film production. The course at UWS appears to cover many aspects of film production.”

The degree gives students the opportunity to make their own films and write scripts while studying classic and cult films from around the world. Rosanna is particularly attracted by the screen-writing part of the course and believes the University is the best place to let her develop this particular skill.

The degree is accredited by Skillset, the sector skills council for Creative Media, and designed to meet the demands of the creative and cultural industries.

“I’d like to be behind the scenes in film production, a cinematographer or screen-writer, working in TV or a major film studio. The course has internships which will probably allow me to make contacts with important people in the industry.

I see this as a critical part of the course, to try and ensure I can get a job at the end of the degree.”

Rosanna is one of around 20 students on the course, and says they will be divided into small groups to learn critical skills such as using the camera, production and editing. “Being in small groups will help me to learn new skills quicker and better,” she says.

She visits her brother regularly in Glasgow, which is an easy train ride from the campus, and has plans to explore more of Scotland. “I’d really like to go hiking in the Highlands.”

The Students’ Union has put on a range of lively events to welcome and integrate all of the new students onto the campus, but Rosanna is eagerly awaiting a very special evening event to experience a traditional Scottish ceilidh. “All the international students are really looking forward to this event. I have heard it is a lot of fun,” she says.

Aman Kataria, who has come to UWS from the Indian capital of Delhi, is among the first students to move into the new £13.2 million student residence in the heart of Paisley town centre. “Honestly, it has exceeded my expectations,” he says. “It comes with everything you would wish you would need. Everything is of a very high standard and state-of-the-art facilities. It’s bright, colourful, of modern and contemporary design, with an en-suite bathroom. I am very happy with my room.”

Every six-student flat has a communal lounge, kitchen and dining area, although Aman confesses that he is not the world’s best cook. “I’ve been exploring the local area, and note there are a number of large stores including Marks & Spencers, the Co-operative and Morrisons, so that is fine for me. I will not go hungry for long — there is food available nearby, which I can cook without having good cooking skills.”

He also appreciates the residences being only a few minutes walk from the main teaching block and the Students’ Union.

“The University has been surprisingly multicultural. So far, I’ve met people from Romania, Bulgaria, Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Japan. That was quite unexpected. I thought it would just be a few students from a number of other countries, but there are many, and it’s interesting to meet people from different cultures.”

Aman visited Scotland once before when he was aged ten, while the family was living in England. This was because of his father’s work as a Development Manager with the

Oracle Corporation, which provides hardware and software systems for companies. “I don’t remember much about Scotland, except that the scenery was spectacular. There are castles I want to visit, and I’ve spoken to my flatmates about going to Glasgow and visiting the north of Scotland. From my room I can see Paisley Abbey, which is a beautiful building.”

At school, Aman was particularly gifted at physics and chemistry. In his final year, during a specialist preparatory engineering course, he discovered quite by accident what he wanted to study was games technology.

“It has the right balance of science, engineering and art,” he says. He has chosen to study a BSc(Hons) Computer Games Technology at the University.

“When I read about the course, it sounded perfect for me. It had everything, it had good accreditation, the employers who recruit UWS students seemed to be better than employers linked to other universities,” he says.

“The year’s industrial placement with an employer was a big attraction for me. That for me was the big selling point, because my family advised me to give high priority to work placements — employers do not just want to see a graduate with an academic qualification, they want to see practical and relevant work experience as well.”

Aman is not sure what he will do once he graduates, but he is particularly interested in working on massively multiplayer online role-play games (MMORG), which would involve creating virtual game worlds.

“A lot of the interest in MMORG is centred in Japan. If I was offered a good job in Japan, I’d be more than happy to take it,” he says. “Perhaps, I can get a Japanese student to teach me Japanese! I’m happy here. I think it’s going to be a great course and hopefully secure my future career.”

I felt this was my home, after only two days.

FeatuRe aRticle

20 / featUre article / UWS Alumni Magazine

FeatuRe aRticle

UWS Alumni Magazine / featUre article / 21

A Room oF Their ownThe university has spent over £20m on new halls of Residence at both Ayr and Paisley Campuses.

two international students tell West why they chose uWS, and what they think of the new halls of Residence. Words olga Wojtas | Photography mark seager & Bob mcdevitt

The University’s stunning new £81 million Ayr Campus, including a new Hall of Residence, is located in a beautiful riverside setting, and was in itself, a draw for

Martinique-born Rosanna Gallon to decide to come to Scotland to further her career ambitions.

“That was one of the reasons I chose UWS, because the campus was new and it seemed really welcoming and modern. The bedrooms are really big and have a lot of storage space — would you believe, I still have empty shelves! Everything is very bright, because all of the windows in the building, are full-length floor to ceiling,” she says.

“It’s a really nice campus, scenic and picturesque. I felt this was my home after only two days. There’s a common room where you can play pool and watch TV. You make friends really quickly. I really like all my flatmates: there are two students from Scotland, one from Donegal in Ireland, and one from Essex in England.”

Rosanna, whose father is French and mother is Irish, has come to UWS from Paris, and is completely bilingual in English and French. She was surprised to find so many other French students on campus.

“I was expecting only mainly Scottish students, but I’ve met people from Lithuania, Canada and many other countries. I like the mix of cultures.”

She admits that another attraction to studying in Scotland, was the fact that European students have their university tuition fees paid by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland — her older brother is currently in his final year at a university in Glasgow where he is studying English Literature and Film and Television Studies. Rosanna is studying for a BA Film-making and Screen-writing.

“I really love Scotland, so it’s just perfect that I can come here and study for my degree and further my career,” says Rosanna.

“I wanted to study something like literature, but then changed direction and was attracted to a career in film production. The course at UWS appears to cover many aspects of film production.”

The degree gives students the opportunity to make their own films and write scripts while studying classic and cult films from around the world. Rosanna is particularly attracted by the screen-writing part of the course and believes the University is the best place to let her develop this particular skill.

The degree is accredited by Skillset, the sector skills council for Creative Media, and designed to meet the demands of the creative and cultural industries.

“I’d like to be behind the scenes in film production, a cinematographer or screen-writer, working in TV or a major film studio. The course has internships which will probably allow me to make contacts with important people in the industry.

I see this as a critical part of the course, to try and ensure I can get a job at the end of the degree.”

Rosanna is one of around 20 students on the course, and says they will be divided into small groups to learn critical skills such as using the camera, production and editing. “Being in small groups will help me to learn new skills quicker and better,” she says.

She visits her brother regularly in Glasgow, which is an easy train ride from the campus, and has plans to explore more of Scotland. “I’d really like to go hiking in the Highlands.”

The Students’ Union has put on a range of lively events to welcome and integrate all of the new students onto the campus, but Rosanna is eagerly awaiting a very special evening event to experience a traditional Scottish ceilidh. “All the international students are really looking forward to this event. I have heard it is a lot of fun,” she says.

Aman Kataria, who has come to UWS from the Indian capital of Delhi, is among the first students to move into the new £13.2 million student residence in the heart of Paisley town centre. “Honestly, it has exceeded my expectations,” he says. “It comes with everything you would wish you would need. Everything is of a very high standard and state-of-the-art facilities. It’s bright, colourful, of modern and contemporary design, with an en-suite bathroom. I am very happy with my room.”

Every six-student flat has a communal lounge, kitchen and dining area, although Aman confesses that he is not the world’s best cook. “I’ve been exploring the local area, and note there are a number of large stores including Marks & Spencers, the Co-operative and Morrisons, so that is fine for me. I will not go hungry for long — there is food available nearby, which I can cook without having good cooking skills.”

He also appreciates the residences being only a few minutes walk from the main teaching block and the Students’ Union.

“The University has been surprisingly multicultural. So far, I’ve met people from Romania, Bulgaria, Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Japan. That was quite unexpected. I thought it would just be a few students from a number of other countries, but there are many, and it’s interesting to meet people from different cultures.”

Aman visited Scotland once before when he was aged ten, while the family was living in England. This was because of his father’s work as a Development Manager with the

Oracle Corporation, which provides hardware and software systems for companies. “I don’t remember much about Scotland, except that the scenery was spectacular. There are castles I want to visit, and I’ve spoken to my flatmates about going to Glasgow and visiting the north of Scotland. From my room I can see Paisley Abbey, which is a beautiful building.”

At school, Aman was particularly gifted at physics and chemistry. In his final year, during a specialist preparatory engineering course, he discovered quite by accident what he wanted to study was games technology.

“It has the right balance of science, engineering and art,” he says. He has chosen to study a BSc(Hons) Computer Games Technology at the University.

“When I read about the course, it sounded perfect for me. It had everything, it had good accreditation, the employers who recruit UWS students seemed to be better than employers linked to other universities,” he says.

“The year’s industrial placement with an employer was a big attraction for me. That for me was the big selling point, because my family advised me to give high priority to work placements — employers do not just want to see a graduate with an academic qualification, they want to see practical and relevant work experience as well.”

Aman is not sure what he will do once he graduates, but he is particularly interested in working on massively multiplayer online role-play games (MMORG), which would involve creating virtual game worlds.

“A lot of the interest in MMORG is centred in Japan. If I was offered a good job in Japan, I’d be more than happy to take it,” he says. “Perhaps, I can get a Japanese student to teach me Japanese! I’m happy here. I think it’s going to be a great course and hopefully secure my future career.”

I felt this was my home, after only two days.

univeRSity PROFile

22 / University Profile / UWS Alumni Magazine

FeatuRe aRticle

UWS Alumni Magazine / featUre article / 23

The elegant lines of the new Sir Chris Hoy velodrome jut into the Glasgow skyline, competing for attention with other landmarks in the east end of Glasgow. The £113 million facility — first conceived in 2004 — opened its doors to the public on Friday October 5, 2012, and has the opportunity to revitalise a city still regarded as an international black spot for heart disease.

The spin-offs for the east end, a historically deprived area, are undeniable, but the venue’s legacy will extend far beyond. “It’s Yours, Own It”, is the arena’s slogan and conveys the inclusiveness at the heart of its ethos. It may be a world-class venue, but the message is clear: The facilities are for everyone — from elite performers to schoolchildren and students, through to the elderly.

Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, emphasised the point: “It’s principally for use for the people of the city and there will be elite athletes using it over the next few months and throughout the Commonwealth Games, but it’s for everyone to make use of.”

The inclusiveness mantra has been embraced by city dwellers, with over 10,000 flooding to the venue on its opening weekend. Around 5000 — the club’s largest-ever home attendance — watched basketball team Glasgow Rocks’ first home match there, against the Newcastle Eagles. The Rocks lost in the final quarter, however; a glorious failure! Not everything can be changed overnight.

The facilities are remarkable. As well as the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and the National Indoor Sports Arena, the venue boasts three full-size sports halls with 12 badminton courts, four outdoor five-a-side football pitches, an outdoor cycle circuit and a luxury spa with a vitality pool, sauna, samarium, steam room, caldarium, two treatment rooms and a relaxation area.

The state-of-the-art health and fitness centre is also a highlight, with 80 cardiovascular and strength and conditioning machines including treadmills, rowing machines and step machines, all overlooking the velodrome track. A functional training zone, dance studio, spin studio and mind and body studio are also available.

Even the 250m velodrome track, with a steep bank at either end, can be used by anyone. Budding cyclists can either have a go under supervision or complete a four-step induction which allows them to have a shot on their own. The aim is to establish track leagues and inspire a new generation to follow in the footsteps of Hoy.

“I have been fortunate to ride in the world’s best velodromes and I can tell that this venue is going to be very special,” said the six-time Olympic gold medallist. “It has a fantastic design and feels like it’s going to be very fast.”

“This velodrome will make such a difference to cycling in Scotland. It will be the new home of cycling in this country and will hopefully help to inspire the next generation of cyclists.”

Of course, the arena will also be the focal point for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the city. It will host the badminton and track cycling events at the Games when the ‘Emirates’ tag will be dropped and it will be known simply as the ‘Commonwealth Arena’.

“It is in these venues that the success of Glasgow 2014 as an outstanding event that is celebrated throughout Glasgow, Scotland and the Commonwealth will be realised,” said Lord Smith, Chairman of the Organising Committee for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Lord Smith is also Chancellor of the University of the West of Scotland.

“The fact that the venue will be open to the local community and host world-class events well in advance of the Games is a tangible example that the Games legacy is starting now.”

In its first four months, the venue will also host eight Scottish, European or world-level sporting events — including the first appearance of the GB cycling team since their glorious achievements at the London Olympics in the summer — at a UCI World Cup event next month.

Glasgow is No.9 in the top 100 sporting cities. It is aiming for the top five. It now has the venue to match its lofty ambitions.

In recent months, there has been a deliberate transformation of the way UWS goes about providing a range of services to students. Catering, residential accommodation, recreational sports, printing, and conference and facilities hire, are now under a single in-house grouping that aims to ensure a high and consistent level of delivery, with an absolute commitment to delivering an excellent “student experience.”

Catering used to be delivered differently on each of the University’s four campuses, including some through contract caterers. However, after a detailed review, it was decided that bringing the whole service in-house would give UWS greater control over quality and financial performance. This decision was the first step in implementing a new direction for a group of services that support students, part of the University’s on-going strategic commitment to ensure that students have the best possible experience when they come to any of the campuses.

All the catering outlets have been re-branded “The Canteen,” and staff now wear smart branded purple shirts, black trousers and bar aprons with the University logo on them. “Importantly, colleagues from the Catering Team were involved with selecting the uniform,” says Marcus. “It looks more professional and contemporary than what we had previously.”

The revised menus are extremely popular — overseas guests have been particularly delighted with a new “Taste of Scotland” buffet developed by the chefs — and there have been enquiries at graduations and other events as to whether the team is available for external catering. “That’s a real vote of confidence,” says Marcus.

There is also a renewed interest in our sport facilities in the wake of the Olympics, and with the up-and-coming 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. All the cardiovascular and resistance equipment in the Conditioning Suite at the Robertson Sports Centre at Thornly Park, Paisley, has been upgraded. Marcus also reveals that investment has been secured to undertake a similar upgrade at the Hamilton Campus, which also has a Games Hall used for anything from badminton to five-a-side football. Paisley boasts synthetic and grass outdoor pitches, as well as grass training areas.

All of these facilities are open to the general public, says Marcus, but are for use primarily by our students.

The change UWS alumni would probably notice first at our Ayr and Paisley campuses, is the multi-million pound residential developments, with a 200-room parkland residence in the Ayr campus, a 336-room residence at Storie Street in the heart of Paisley, and the refurbishment of student flats in Paisley’s traditional sandstone tenement blocks. Students are given a clear promise of the high levels of service they can expect.

“The feeling was that self-funding, developing and running our own accommodation, gave us the highest likelihood of success in achieving excellence,” Marcus says. “The reaction from students and parents has been a joy. When people come in, it’s a ‘wow’ moment — there’s a real positive delight with the standard of accommodation.”

Accommodation (outwith term time) is just one of the range of facilities on offer to UWS alumni. University facilities include teaching rooms with modern audio-visual equipment, which are available throughout the year. A particular draw is the stunning new Ayr campus with its spectacular riverside location.

“Our team are able to deal with a whole range of requests, from a room for an hour or less, to a complex residential event for hundreds of people,” says Marcus. “We can offer a holistic service, covering catering, parking and overnight accommodation, as well as printing of conference literature. We have high-spec print hardware that’s available to external clients, and can deliver anything from full colour digital printing to business cards and invitations, and even customised greetings cards.”

Bringing It homeWords martin Greig | Photography ian Watson

sir chris hoy

olga Wojtas speaks to marcus Ross, Director of Facilities, marketing and Internationalisation about the new customer-focus on the provision of some university commercial services.Words olga Wojtas | Photography Bob mcdevitt

If you are interested in enquiring about any of our services, please contact:

head of Commercial servicesAlan Russell

T: 0141 848 3000e: alan.russell@uws.ac.uk

a look

sir chris hoy’s brand new Velodrome

Win 4 Tickets to ride round the track. (Includes Lunch Vouchers)

To enter return your Contact Details form with your up to date information in the freepost envelope provided with this magazine by 5pm Friday 1st March 2013

I have been fortunate to ride in the world’s best velodromes and I can tell that this venue is going to be very special.

univeRSity PROFile

22 / University Profile / UWS Alumni Magazine

FeatuRe aRticle

UWS Alumni Magazine / featUre article / 23

The elegant lines of the new Sir Chris Hoy velodrome jut into the Glasgow skyline, competing for attention with other landmarks in the east end of Glasgow. The £113 million facility — first conceived in 2004 — opened its doors to the public on Friday October 5, 2012, and has the opportunity to revitalise a city still regarded as an international black spot for heart disease.

The spin-offs for the east end, a historically deprived area, are undeniable, but the venue’s legacy will extend far beyond. “It’s Yours, Own It”, is the arena’s slogan and conveys the inclusiveness at the heart of its ethos. It may be a world-class venue, but the message is clear: The facilities are for everyone — from elite performers to schoolchildren and students, through to the elderly.

Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, emphasised the point: “It’s principally for use for the people of the city and there will be elite athletes using it over the next few months and throughout the Commonwealth Games, but it’s for everyone to make use of.”

The inclusiveness mantra has been embraced by city dwellers, with over 10,000 flooding to the venue on its opening weekend. Around 5000 — the club’s largest-ever home attendance — watched basketball team Glasgow Rocks’ first home match there, against the Newcastle Eagles. The Rocks lost in the final quarter, however; a glorious failure! Not everything can be changed overnight.

The facilities are remarkable. As well as the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and the National Indoor Sports Arena, the venue boasts three full-size sports halls with 12 badminton courts, four outdoor five-a-side football pitches, an outdoor cycle circuit and a luxury spa with a vitality pool, sauna, samarium, steam room, caldarium, two treatment rooms and a relaxation area.

The state-of-the-art health and fitness centre is also a highlight, with 80 cardiovascular and strength and conditioning machines including treadmills, rowing machines and step machines, all overlooking the velodrome track. A functional training zone, dance studio, spin studio and mind and body studio are also available.

Even the 250m velodrome track, with a steep bank at either end, can be used by anyone. Budding cyclists can either have a go under supervision or complete a four-step induction which allows them to have a shot on their own. The aim is to establish track leagues and inspire a new generation to follow in the footsteps of Hoy.

“I have been fortunate to ride in the world’s best velodromes and I can tell that this venue is going to be very special,” said the six-time Olympic gold medallist. “It has a fantastic design and feels like it’s going to be very fast.”

“This velodrome will make such a difference to cycling in Scotland. It will be the new home of cycling in this country and will hopefully help to inspire the next generation of cyclists.”

Of course, the arena will also be the focal point for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the city. It will host the badminton and track cycling events at the Games when the ‘Emirates’ tag will be dropped and it will be known simply as the ‘Commonwealth Arena’.

“It is in these venues that the success of Glasgow 2014 as an outstanding event that is celebrated throughout Glasgow, Scotland and the Commonwealth will be realised,” said Lord Smith, Chairman of the Organising Committee for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Lord Smith is also Chancellor of the University of the West of Scotland.

“The fact that the venue will be open to the local community and host world-class events well in advance of the Games is a tangible example that the Games legacy is starting now.”

In its first four months, the venue will also host eight Scottish, European or world-level sporting events — including the first appearance of the GB cycling team since their glorious achievements at the London Olympics in the summer — at a UCI World Cup event next month.

Glasgow is No.9 in the top 100 sporting cities. It is aiming for the top five. It now has the venue to match its lofty ambitions.

In recent months, there has been a deliberate transformation of the way UWS goes about providing a range of services to students. Catering, residential accommodation, recreational sports, printing, and conference and facilities hire, are now under a single in-house grouping that aims to ensure a high and consistent level of delivery, with an absolute commitment to delivering an excellent “student experience.”

Catering used to be delivered differently on each of the University’s four campuses, including some through contract caterers. However, after a detailed review, it was decided that bringing the whole service in-house would give UWS greater control over quality and financial performance. This decision was the first step in implementing a new direction for a group of services that support students, part of the University’s on-going strategic commitment to ensure that students have the best possible experience when they come to any of the campuses.

All the catering outlets have been re-branded “The Canteen,” and staff now wear smart branded purple shirts, black trousers and bar aprons with the University logo on them. “Importantly, colleagues from the Catering Team were involved with selecting the uniform,” says Marcus. “It looks more professional and contemporary than what we had previously.”

The revised menus are extremely popular — overseas guests have been particularly delighted with a new “Taste of Scotland” buffet developed by the chefs — and there have been enquiries at graduations and other events as to whether the team is available for external catering. “That’s a real vote of confidence,” says Marcus.

There is also a renewed interest in our sport facilities in the wake of the Olympics, and with the up-and-coming 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. All the cardiovascular and resistance equipment in the Conditioning Suite at the Robertson Sports Centre at Thornly Park, Paisley, has been upgraded. Marcus also reveals that investment has been secured to undertake a similar upgrade at the Hamilton Campus, which also has a Games Hall used for anything from badminton to five-a-side football. Paisley boasts synthetic and grass outdoor pitches, as well as grass training areas.

All of these facilities are open to the general public, says Marcus, but are for use primarily by our students.

The change UWS alumni would probably notice first at our Ayr and Paisley campuses, is the multi-million pound residential developments, with a 200-room parkland residence in the Ayr campus, a 336-room residence at Storie Street in the heart of Paisley, and the refurbishment of student flats in Paisley’s traditional sandstone tenement blocks. Students are given a clear promise of the high levels of service they can expect.

“The feeling was that self-funding, developing and running our own accommodation, gave us the highest likelihood of success in achieving excellence,” Marcus says. “The reaction from students and parents has been a joy. When people come in, it’s a ‘wow’ moment — there’s a real positive delight with the standard of accommodation.”

Accommodation (outwith term time) is just one of the range of facilities on offer to UWS alumni. University facilities include teaching rooms with modern audio-visual equipment, which are available throughout the year. A particular draw is the stunning new Ayr campus with its spectacular riverside location.

“Our team are able to deal with a whole range of requests, from a room for an hour or less, to a complex residential event for hundreds of people,” says Marcus. “We can offer a holistic service, covering catering, parking and overnight accommodation, as well as printing of conference literature. We have high-spec print hardware that’s available to external clients, and can deliver anything from full colour digital printing to business cards and invitations, and even customised greetings cards.”

Bringing It homeWords martin Greig | Photography ian Watson

sir chris hoy

olga Wojtas speaks to marcus Ross, Director of Facilities, marketing and Internationalisation about the new customer-focus on the provision of some university commercial services.Words olga Wojtas | Photography Bob mcdevitt

If you are interested in enquiring about any of our services, please contact:

head of Commercial servicesAlan Russell

T: 0141 848 3000e: alan.russell@uws.ac.uk

a look

sir chris hoy’s brand new Velodrome

Win 4 Tickets to ride round the track. (Includes Lunch Vouchers)

To enter return your Contact Details form with your up to date information in the freepost envelope provided with this magazine by 5pm Friday 1st March 2013

I have been fortunate to ride in the world’s best velodromes and I can tell that this venue is going to be very special.