Projects Funded in 2010-2011
Pharmacy students challenge devastating impact of Aids
In June five final-year pharmacy students travelled to Durban, South Africa to work in an outpatient Aids Hospice. Their job was to assist Aids patients by assessing their medication status and help them to find ways to actually remember to take their medication.
The team comprised Jonathan Clarke, Gareth Peeples, Paula Savage, Oonagh Diamond and John Hennessey and they also provided labour to help out hospice staff.
Khanya aids hospice has always struggled financially so before going on the trip the group completed a number of fund-raising efforts including taking part in the Belfast City marathon. The team was also supported by the Queen’s Annual fund which donated a total of £5000 cash to the project.
The visit was a life-changing experience for all the students. As Jonathan Clarke explained:
“We gained a great insight into the impact of illness from a patient’s perspective and the impact of medication on lives. The experience has shaped our perspectives of healthcare and we have learned lessons and skills that no classroom or text book could teach.”
On-line tool fine-tunes performance
The Postgraduate Skills Training Programme supports Postgraduate Research Students in the development of generic research skills and enhances their employability prospects through career and personal development.
The programme does this through classroom-based training as well as one-to-one support and more intensive development programmes, called GRADschools.
Through funding provided by the Queen’s Annual Fund, the Postgraduate Skills Training Team was able to purchase four on-line learning videos. Those chosen have been created to support the needs of Postgraduate Research Students specifically. To view a short excerpt of each video and read more about their content, please go to www.angelproductions.co.uk
Urucungos do the ‘Chicken Jongo’
The First Latin America Week at Queen’s, sponsored by the Latin American Studies Forum and the School of History and Anthropology took place in May.
One of the highlights of the event was a visit from four Brazilian dancers which was made possible by a grant from the Queen’s Annual Fund.
Erica Giesbrecht, Alceu Estevan, Sinhá (Rosária Antônia), and Nil Senna who are linked to a troupe called ‘Urucungos, Puitas e Quijengues’ also visited six local schools where they taught children how to dance the ‘Chicken Jongo’, a dance developed by African slaves on the coffee plantations of southeastern Brazil during the 19th century.
Speaking the right language
The first Interdisciplinary Linguistics Conference (ILinC) was held at Queen’s University on 14-15 October 2011.
This successful student-led initiative, jointly organised by the Schools of English, Education and Modern Languages, and supported by the Queen’s Annual Fund, brought together over 270 delegates from more than 30 different countries.
The success of the 1st ILinC is directly related to the generous donation from the Queen’s Annual Fund. This donation made it possible to democratize access to the event and to the knowledge which was produced on these two days of intense academic activities. A postgraduate research student summarized the importance of this aspect when commenting on the event: “Because the registration fees were so low, the conference was accessible to a diverse group of people who had a keen interest in linguistics from various disciplines. It also made the conference accessible to MA and PhD students alongside faculty members and professors.
Ain’t no mountain high enough
Queen’s Students’ Union recognises that sport makes a positive contribution to students’ quality of life. The Students’ Union support those wishing to get involved with University sports clubs.
To build Queen’s success it is vital that top quality coaching is supported. There are a number of Queen’s University sports clubs without a coach, and some clubs use external coaches with no formal recognised governing body qualification.
This year, through the support of the Queen’s Annual Fund, Clubs and Societies Coordinator, David Bradley, has introduced a Bursary that will pay for students to complete national governing body awards in their chosen sport. This will also provide Queen’s University sports clubs with qualified coaches. Students may then assist in delivering coaching/training to members of their sports club, and they will take part in additional sporting activities for local young people through Queen’s Sport holiday or community activity programmes.
Architecture students are building on success
A group of students from the School of Architecture at Queen’s has published a journal for the academic year 2010-11.
The publication features work from over 100 students including undergraduate, year-out and postgraduate students.
Its goal is to raise awareness of Queen’s as a growing School of Architecture and highlight the fact that it is within the top ten of UK Schools of Architecture (Guardian University rankings 2011).
The students involved learnt valuable skills on how a publication is put together from graphic layout, management of advertising and sponsorship, to content management, including conducting interviews with Award Winning Architecture Firms.
The professional touch for legal eagles
The Institute of Professional Legal Studies (IPLS) and the Centre for Educational Development received a grant from the Queen’s Annual Fund to develop an online tool to support the development of specific professional attributes among postgraduate students that undertake a work placement as part of their course. The online tool provides a framework for self, tutor and employer assessment of the individual’s performance against agreed professional standards for a barrister or solicitor.
Don’t cry - Evita was a success!
In April 2011, the Queen's Music Society Theatre Group was delighted to be able to present the Irish amateur premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's EVITA.
Presented in the Waterfront Hall, it was the company’s first production in a professional venue and was supported by the Queen’s Annual Fund which provided cash for microphones.
The cast and crew showed great commitment to the project. Indeed, following on from EVITA, the company put on a sold-out production of FAME in the Waterfront Hall with some of the EVITA cast returning to the group!
Minding their own business
The IBM University Business Challenge, supported by the Queen’s Annual Fund, is a good example of the kind of project Queen’s University’s Careers, Employability and Skills Service wants students to get involved in as it offers them the opportunity to develop graduate employability skills, and introduces them to top employers.
The competition also meets the aims of the Degreeplus programme at Queen’s which provides a framework for the accreditation of extracurricular activities undertaken by undergraduate and postgraduate taught students.
The IBM University Business Challenge gives participants the chance to work as management consultants in a series of realistic, simulated companies, making all the critical business decisions that affect the company's performance. The Queen’s team came third, out of 270 teams representing a fabulous achievement for all concerned!
Ladies Hockey Club on film
The generous award from the Queen’s Annual Fund has allowed Queen’s Ladies’ Hockey Club to purchase a high-quality HD Digital Camcorder and tripod and a sophisticated piece of match analysis software called Dartfish Connect Plus.
The club intents to video all home games, and as many away games as possible, from the beginning of next season. The team will also be able to use the camera to take footage from practice sessions to analyse individual technical skills.
An example of how it works can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTmmHIbZ1Co
Tribute to generous donors
A plaque has been erected in SPACE (a social space for students in the Students’ Union) to commemorate the years of support the Annual Fund has given to the Union, its facilities and its activities.
Natasha Sharma, Annual Fund Manager would like to thank all those who have generously supported the fund.
She said: “The spirit of intellectual inquiry is alive and well at our University, but it needs sustenance. Thank you to everyone who has helped students through the Queen’s Annual Fund.”
