European Commission praises Staffordshire University Work Based Learning project

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 Work Based Learning Qualifications (WBLQUAL) http://wblqual.com  examines how Employers, Learners and Higher Education Institutions can benefit from working together to provide quality and affordable bespoke workplace learning to employees to a curriculum that is negotiated by the learner, the employer and the university (a tri-partite relationship).  

 This innovative project funded by the EU’s ERASMUS programme with partners from Italy, Poland, Latvia and Denmark was led by Staffordshire University’s Rosie Borup. The project ran from October 2010 to November 2012. In evaluating the project the European Commission commented on the ‘high quality of the research results (which are) easily accessible via the webpage of the project.‘, and that ’The great care with which the project has been implemented is noteworthy.’

 It is accepted that there is a cultural gap between the worlds of academia and industry. Universities can see themselves as set apart from the commercial pressures that industry is accustomed to, and they can consider that their interaction is best kept to the theoretical context and research.

 However there is much to be gained from a closer collaboration between Universities and Industry, and especially the engagement of Universities in Work Based Learning.

In the main Universities have offered Work Based Learning ‘courses’ which are traditional in terms of content and delivery, with little or no recognition of the tri-partite relationship between learner, employer and Higher Education Institutions. Employers have criticised academia for not adapting to their needs, and being inflexible in their approach.

 This project explored the issues which  concern academic institutions.

 The project web site offers

 Information for employers regarding how Work Based Learning can be used as an affordable tool for staff training

  • Information for learners highlighting how Work Based Learning can be flexible enough to fit around their day job
  • Research for HEIs interested in   offering Work Based Learning courses and how they can be implemented
  • Video summarising key issues and results
  • Country-specific case studies
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Environmental Audit Committee announce new inquiry into well-being

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The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) is a Commons Select Committee Chaired by Joan Walley MP and examines sustainable development and environmental protection across all government departments.  Following the EAC’s recent report on Sustainable Development Indicators, the Committee agreed to undertake a further inquiry on the ‘Measuring Well-being’ initiative, building from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) well-being data analysis in November.

The ONS analysis compared people’s well-being according to gender, age, ethnic group, relationship status, health, disability, employment status and occupation, as well as by nation, region and local authority. This potentially opens up a raft of new data for social science and policy making that reflects well-being and sustainable development.

The EAC inquiry will examine a number of areas including:

  • The Government’s plans to utilise the results of the available well-being research and analysis in policy making, training and sustainable development 
  • How the ONS work might be further expanded or adjusted to reflect well-being research and metrics being developed elsewhere. 

The Committee is taking written evidence for this inquiry until 14 June. Guidance on how to submit evidence is available on the Committee’s website, further information at http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environmental-audit-committee/news/well-being-inquiry/. 

 

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Croatia to join the EU in July 2013

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Croatia is on track to become the EU’s 28th Member State on 1 July, MEPs have said in their last resolution before it is scheduled to join. They highlighted the strength of Croatia’s democracy, social market economy and capacity to fulfill its membership obligations and called on the last two Member States that still have to approve Croatia’s accession to do so without delay.

For further information  please click here.

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COST: European Cooperation in Science and Technology

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The next deadline for the submission of preliminary proposals to the COST Open Call is 27 September 2013.

Developing stronger links among European researchers is crucial to building the European Research Area (ERA). COST stimulates new, innovative, interdisciplinary and broad research networks in Europe and although it does not fund research itself, it does support networking activities. Proposals for COST actions should contribute to the scientific, technological, economic, cultural or societal development of Europe.  Proposals for COST Actions can be submitted to one of nine Domains, including Food and Agriculture, and Earth System Science and Environmental Management, or when highly interdisciplinary and spanning several COST Domains, as Trans-Domain Proposals.

For more information on COST please click here

If you are interested in this opportunity, please get in touch with the external proejcts team at externalprojects@staffs.ac.uk

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Work Experience for Young Entrepreneurs sets them apart in Job Market

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As youth unemployment rises for another month, young people across Europe are looking for unique training options to make them stand out from the crowd. The European Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs Program (EYE) might just provide the way in. As part of EYE Staffordshire University’s spin out company flux has been able to provide young student Manuel Moreno from Andújar, Spain with the opportunity to work with them on a social media project.

flux is an innovative design company that takes emerging talent from Staffordshire University to generate contemporary ceramics. Manuel’s Brussels based role was to promote the FLUX brand internationally.

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Manuel said “The most important thing that I’ve learnt is that everything is possible with effort and being persistent. This project was born as a dream and now is becoming a reality little by little.”

The post was part of the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs Program (EYE), a business exchange programme, offering new entrepreneurs the possibility to work for up to 6 months with small businesses by covering travel and living expenses. Schemes such as this can be vital to ensure young people have financial support whilst they gain work experience to make themselves marketable to future employees.

Manuel feels placements like this are good to give young people the experiences of living and working abroad at least once in a lifetime. He added “It helps you to grow up not just in a professional way but also in a personal one.”

For Manuel the scheme has already been a success story as his contact has been extended for a further 8 months.

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flux director Glynis Whiting feels that these schemes are an excellent way for young people to enter the business world, “there is no doubt that the international experience offered by the host entrepreneur via EYE is invaluable in building confidence and a wide range of contacts which will be of use for the new entrepreneur in getting their business off the ground, or indeed in their wider future career portfolio.”

This was flux’s first taste of the EYE scheme. It has been so successful that flux has applied again. Glynis added “We are especially pleased that our next EYE placement will be a Staffordshire University student graduating this year in photography and entrepreneurship, which I hope will be the first of a programme with new entrepreneurs from Staffordshire.”

Further details on flux www.fluxstokeontrent.com

More information on EYE http://www.erasmus-entrepreneurs.eu/

 

 

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Extracts from the Judgment of Lord Sumption: Public Relations Consultants v Newspaper Licensing Agency

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Please see attached a Note with a few useful extracts from the Judgment of Lord Sumption in Public Relations Consultants v Newspaper Licensing Agency Ltd [2013] UK SC 18. The point of appeal has been referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

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Vitae offers REF guidance for careers staff

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Vitae, the research careers organisation, has published a briefing for those involved in the career development of researchers on how to make submissions to the Research Excellence Framework.

This, along with a shorter summary of the main points, aims to help those responsible for preparing submissions and to highlight the importance of evidence of careers development activities to meet certain REF criteria.

Further details: http://www.vitae.ac.uk/policy-practice/375-599821/Vitae-has-published-two-briefings-for-institutions-submitting-to-REF-2014.html

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NIHR – Board and Panel Members Sought

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 Board and Panel vacancies

We have a number of vacancies for funding board members, panel members and panel chairs for the following health research programmes

• Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme
• NIHR Health Services and Delivery Research (HS&DR) Programme
• NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme

Applications are welcomed from people with a wide range of expertise, including clinical staff, service managers, health and public health professionals, subject experts and academics.

For further information and how to apply, please visit our vacancies page.
The closing date for applications is 1pm on 07 June 2013.

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EU Prize for Women Innovators

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The European Commission has launched the second edition of the EU Women Innovators Prize to reward three women who have achieved outstanding innovations and brought them to market. The Prize aims to raise awareness of the need for more female entrepreneurs and to inspire other women to follow in their footsteps.

 

The contest is open to all women who have founded or co-founded their company and who have at some point in their careers benefitted from the EU’s research Framework Programmes (FP) or the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP).
 
Three prizes will be awarded in total:

  • First prize: EUR 100,000;
  • Second prize: EUR 50,000; and
  • Third prize: EUR 25,000

An independent panel of judges from business and academia will examine and select the three winners who will be announced in spring 2014. Full details of the eligibility and evaluation criteria are available through the competition website, which is indicated below.
 
The deadline for applications is 15 October 2013.

The winners of the previous edition of the Prize were:

  • Dr. Gitte Neubauer (Co-founder and Vice-President for Research Operations of CELLZOME – recently acquired by GlaxoSmithKline) whose groundbreaking research into chemo-proteomics is driving her company’s work on new, better targeted drugs against inflammatory diseases and cancer;
  • Fabienne Hermitte (Co-founder IPSOGEN, Senior director, Research and Development – Regulatory Affairs) whose work made her company a pioneer in personalised healthcare diagnostics, which allow more individualised treatments for cancer patients; and
  • Ilaria Rosso (Co-founder ELECTRO POWER SYSTEMS, Vice- President of IP Policy and Public Funding Programmes) whose company developed the first self-recharging hydrogen fuel cell system for backup power – a clean, renewable alternative to lead-acid batteries and diesel generators.

The following conditions need to be fulfilled:

  1. The contestant must be a woman.
  2. The contestant must be a resident of an EU Member State or a Countries Associated to the Research Framework Programmes
  3. The contestant must be the founder or co-founder of an existing and active company.
  4. The company has been registered before 1 January 2011.
  5. The annual turnover of the company was at least EUR 0.10 million in 2011 or 2012.
  6. Either the contestant as a natural person or the company founded/co-founded by the contestant have received or is receiving funding from the European Union or the European Atomic Energy Community Research Framework Programme, or from the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP).

Full details:

http://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-union/index_en.cfm?section=women-innovators

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UK-China travel grants

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Travel grants of £1500-£2000 are available for travel to China for specific research, conferencing or lecturing reasons from the Universities’ China Committee in London (UCCL).  The grants are for post graduate or research degree students. Return visits from China can also be supported.  Further information is available at http://www.gbcc.org.uk/universities-china-committee-in-london-uccl.aspx.  Please contact externalprojects@staffs.ac.uk if you require help.  The deadline is 1st June 2013.

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