News in brief, 13 January 2020
Published: 6 January 2020
A round-up of news across the University
Free Gaelic course for staff
UofG Gàidhlig, the University’s policy and development service for Gaelic, is again offering a free Gaelic language course for staff.
The course is aimed at complete beginners and will run for eight weeks from 29 January until 18 March.
To avoid disappointment, register via Eventbrite as soon as you can; the course was full within a matter of hours in semester 1!
www.gla.ac.uk/explore/gaelic/learngaelic/
New Director of the Scottish Graduate School for Arts & Humanities
The Scottish Graduate School for Arts & Humanities (SGSAH) has announced the appointment of its new Director, Professor Claire Squires.
Professor Squires, who was Professor in Publishing Studies at the University of Stirling and Director of the Stirling Centre for International Publishing and Communication, took up the Director’s role last week (Monday 6 January 2020).
Founded in 2014, SGSAH is the world’s first national graduate school for the arts & humanities which is a hub for more than 1,000 postgraduate students. The partnership includes 16 Higher Education Institutions across Scotland and is led by the University of Glasgow.
Professor Squires takes over the Director role from founding Dean/Director Professor Dee Heddon. Under the leadership of Professor Heddon, who is Deputy Head of the College of Arts and James Arnott Chair in Drama at the University of Glasgow, SGSAH has secured approximately £35 million of competitive funding from the Arts & Humanities Research Council and the Scottish Funding Council.
Professor Squires said of her appointment: “I’m delighted to be joining SGSAH as Director, and I’m looking forward to providing leadership, advocacy and community-building for the School. Following the achievements of SGSAH’s first five years, I plan to sustain and grow our standing in national and international contexts, offer ambitious and concerted training and development opportunities for Scotland’s arts and humanities doctoral researchers, and further our collaborative relationships with partners from across Scotland and beyond.”
Professor Squires has engaged actively with SGSAH since its inception, serving in a range of capacities, including as Panel D Chair, which involves Languages, Linguistics, Literatures, Publishing, Media and Communication Studies. She brings to the role extensive experience of doctoral supervision and provision, partnership working, and organisational leadership.
Ferguson Bequest
The Ferguson Bequest has teamed up with UoG Sport to help support the wellbeing of staff, by promoting and helping colleagues take part in physical activity and sport. Following the success of the first two pilot studies, UoG Sport are delighted to offer staff the opportunity to participate in two new courses - a 5-week Learn 2 Animal Flow course and a 6-week Activity and Wellbeing Programme.
For details of both of these courses, and to enter the ballot, please log in to MyGlasgow Staff and enter via the Ferguson Bequest link in the left hand navigation.
Log in will require your GUID and password.
Any questions, contact: CourtOffice@glasgow.ac.uk
N.B. please do not enter ballot unless prepared to commit to the full programme
Career Management for Early Career Academic Researchers
The next run of the Futurelearn online course on Career Management for Early Career Academic Researchers in now open for enrolment at this link and will commence on Monday 27th January. This is a four-week course run by staff at the university’s Careers Service for early career researchers and postgraduate researchers.
The course will support participants in exploring their career options and identifying key steps in moving forward. This will address academic career progression and other professional careers open to academic researchers.
#Please note this course is only for current research staff and postgraduate researchers. The Careers Service runs online and face-to-face course for undergraduate and taught postgraduate students: you can find details on our website.
UofG Sport - free January offer for staff
All University of Glasgow Staff can enjoy January free of charge at UofG Sport when you start a new membership.
For more information and to join up simply visit www.gla.ac.uk/newyear Here you can find all terms and conditions.
We look forward to welcoming you and helping you get started at UofG Sport.
Two UofG projects through to the 2020 Kickstart Challenge
Thirty-two trailblazing entrepreneurs from across Scotland’s universities are now through to the next stage of the Converge KickStart Challenge, an early-stage entrepreneurial development programme for university staff, students and recent graduates across Scotland. This includes two innovative projects from the University of Glasgow.
Among them is Melanie van de Velde with Butterfly Adventures Ltd, a boutique booking platform for local travel providers specialising in authentic, local experiences. Recent research demonstrates an increased demand for authentic travel experiences with a positive impact and Butterfly Adventures plays into this key trend by providing trusted, independent ratings on authenticity, service levels and ethical standards.
Joining Melanie is Anji Sandhu, of Empowered Earth, who has developed a holistic management tool called PCOS Buddy for women living with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, a hormonal disorder affecting one in five British women. With no known cure, the condition can lead to distressing symptoms including acne, hair growth and weight gain while also predisposing women to endometrial cancer and cardiovascular disease.
View the full list of shortlisted projects
Calling all scientists and science communicators
FameLab 2020 is just around the corner and applications are live. Famelab was started in 2005 in the UK by Cheltenham Science Festival and its partnership with the British Council in 2007 took the competition global. Since its inception, over 10,000 scientists and engineers from 31 countries have participated, with country winners coming together for the International FameLab Final at Cheltenham Science Festival each June. The result is a vibrant global network of scientists and engineers engaging with international audiences.
To participate in Famelab you must prepare a three-minute lay presentation about science you are enthusiastic about and research using whatever means best fit your presentation style. The Glasgow training and information session will take place on 6 February, so please register online at www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/science/famelab/famelab-uk to attend.
First published: 6 January 2020