guardiannews@src.gla.ac.uk
21st January 20092 NEWS
IN BRIEF
£158,000 grant forCCPR research
Researchers at the Centre for CulturalPolicy Research at the University of Glasgow are to begin a two-year investiga-tive project to try to understand how busi-ness and entrepreneurship are presentedon television.The project, entitled ‘Public under-standing of Business: Television,Representation and Entrepreneurship’,is funded with a £158,000 grant fromthe Arts and Humanities ResearchCouncil (AHRC).The project will try to identifyhow television programmes such as‘Dragon’s Den’ and ‘The Apprentice’ areshaping the public’s knowledge and under-standing of the cultural and economic posi-tion of entrepreneurship in contemporaryBritish society.Project leader Dr Raymond Boyleexplained why this research had particularsignificance in Britain today.He said: “During this time of massivefinancial and economic upheaval, theresearch is interested in looking at therole that television plays in influencingpublic opinion about what is meant byentrepreneurship and the role that businessgurus and entrepreneurs play in our societyand economy.”Key television programmes studied willalso include Channel 4’s ‘Ramsays’s KitchenNightmares’ and ‘Property Ladder’.Scientists at the University of Glasgowhave received £500,000 in funding todiscover how to improve the quality of digital camera images through the manipu-lation of tiny particles.The aim of the three-year project, whichis being funded by the Engineering &Physical Sciences Research Council, is tocreate small nanostructures or patterns inthe metal film on the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) in digitalcameras which detect light waves andconvert them into digital signals.The team at Glasgow University willalso be working with representatives fromSharp Laboratories Europe and OxfordUniversity to develop the new technology.Professor David Cumming and Dr.Tim Drysdale, from the Department of Electronics and Engineering are leadingthe team and are excited about the possiblediscoveries that may be made.Professor Cumming said: “This tech-nology has a wide range of potential appli-cations, for example cameras, televisions,spectrometers and medical sensors.”“Digital imaging has come a long wayin recent years and this project aims tofurther improve the ability of digital devicesto produce high-quality pictures.”
Scientists to builda bigger picture
Graduate wins £15,000 award
near the beginning of what is obviously goingto be a distinguished career.”Tom Leonard, Professor of EnglishLiterature, tutored Hadfield during her study atGlasgow University.He explained the significance of the acco-lade and the effect that it would have upon thepoet’s career.He said: “It’s an important award. Besidessignificantly increasing the sales of her work, itwill make Jen Hadfield a sought-after reader atpoetry festivals and literary events.“Funding the business of writing is alwaysa problem for poets, who are usually not to befound amongst society's high earners.“Jen likes to travel in exploration for mate-rial for some of her work. The £15,000 will bemost welcome I'm sure.”“She has great poetic talent and a totalcommitment to her art.”UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW ALUMNUS,Jen Hadfield, has become the youngest everrecipient of the T.S. Eliot Prize for her secondcollection of poems, Nigh-No-Place.The prize is awarded annually to the bestcollection of new verse in English by the PoetryBook Society.It is regarded as one of the most prestigiousawards, and also carries the largest cash prize,in British poetry. Past recipients of the awardinclude Seamus Heaney, Carol Ann Duffy andTed Hughes.The creative writing graduate wasannounced winner of the prize on January 12and was presented with her award by PoetLaureate, Andrew Motion.While introducing Hadfield, Motiondescribed her as “a remarkably original poet
Future of GURFC in doubt
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Ian Watkinson, GURFC’s captain, admittedthat the behaviour of some past members of theteam had been unreasonable.He told Guardian: “Rugby clubs havealways had controversy surrounding theirconduct off the pitch and one could probablyargue that, in years gone by, the club has hadissues with discipline.“However, we have now produced a disci-plinary package to help the club solve anybehavioural issues and this should preventfuture problems.“I think that to ban the entire club forincidents involving a very small percentage of members is an overreaction. Recently the club,as a whole, has been on better behaviour.“We apologise, not only to the University,but also to any other institution or member of the public that we have offended or upset atany point.”Watkinson’s claim that the University’sactions are too harsh was rejected by Lee.He said: “Significant evidence wasprovided to the Court detailing the actions of GURFC and some of its members over recentyears and subsequent action taken by GUSAand the University.“There was no evidence that their behav-iour had improved, and it was on this basis thatthe Court made its decision.”Birrell added: “Although the GUU wasnot involved in the decision to ban theclub as a whole, we can back the actionsof the Court and GUSA because we wereworking with them at each stage of the disci-plinary process.”On the pitch, GURFC has been one of the University’s most successful clubs inrecent times. The first team currently sit topof the BUCS Scottish Conference Men’s 2ALeague, having won every game of the seasonso far.GURFC’s suspension will remain enforceduntil the club implements changes to satisfythe University Court that it can operate as aninclusive group.Watkinson explained that this suspensioneffectively prevented GURFC from functioningas a sports team.He said: “The club can’t work without theuse of the University’s name or facilities. Atpresent, there is no GURFC on the pitch.”Despite accepting that the behaviour of histeam members was unacceptable, Watkinsontold Guardian that, in some respects, he felt thathis team had been unfairly treated.He explained: “We were initially under theimpression that the suspension was a short-term process as we were given the chanceto appeal.“However, after attending a meetingwith the Secretary of Court and some highermembers of the GUSA/SRS Council, we haveheard that the University Court has cancelledour fixtures for the rest of the year.“The decision to suspend us and take awayour fixtures was made and acted upon beforewe were given the chance to appeal.“Something that I feel is even more impor-tant is that GUSA made the decision to suspendus indefinitely on November 4 and the finaldecision by the University Court was made onDecember 10.“The club did not find out officially untilJanuary 6 by email, giving us no chance toappeal properly.”Euan Millar, President of GUSA, was reluc-tant to make a full statement on behalf of the student sports body until the suspensionprocess had been completed.
Amy McGregor
James PorteousBloodaxe Books
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