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2008: Bringing innovation to life

January

National acclaim for terrorism book

Playing Politics With Terrorism: A User’s Guide edited by Dr George Kassimeris – a Senior Research Fellow at the University – is listed as one of The Independent’s Best Books of 2007.

Wolverhampton India

Liam Byrne MP and Minister for the West Midlands is keynote speaker at a municipal launch ceremony for the Wolverhampton India project, which aims to open up new relationships between businesses, public organisations and communities in India and Wolverhampton.

Moving Holocaust Lecture

Gabor Hirsch, one of the few survivors from the Auschwitz concentration camp, gives the annual Holocaust Memorial Day Lecture at the University. Gabor, born in Bekescsaba in south-east Hungary, travels from Switzerland to share his experiences of transportation, imprisonment and finally liberation by the Red Army.

New resource combats childhood obesity

One fifth of boys and one third of girls could be obese by the year 2020. But a new CD-Rom, developed at the University for use by health workers, contains guidance that may be an important practical weapon in the fight for good diet and fitness.

Dragon fires up regional leaders

Simon Woodroffe OBE, founder of the restaurant chain YO! Sushi and a former Dragons’ Den panellist, gives a talk as part of the University’s Inspirational Leadership Seminar Programme.

February

Fuelling success

The revolutionary Caparo RightFuel, jointly developed by the University, wins a double gold at the British Invention of the Year Awards 2008.

Researcher ranked number one

Computer scientist and mathematician Professor Mike Thelwall is named the world number one expert in the field of ‘informetrics’.

Russian celebration

The new Rector of Tyumen State University in Western Siberia visits Wolverhampton to celebrate an 18-year link with the University, which has seen regular student exchanges since 1990.

Top win for budding lawyers

Law students from the University travel to London to compete with 588 teams worldwide in the world’s largest ‘moot’ – a mock court case – and return triumphant with an award.

Earthquake expertise

When an earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter Scale is felt across Britain, Dr Clive Roberts from the School of Applied Sciences is the man chosen by ITV to explain what has happened to a shaken Midlands audience.

March

Top marks for teacher training

Ofsted confirms that our primary school teacher training is ‘Grade 1: Outstanding’. Inspectors praise the high graduate employment rates, the recruitment of well-qualified staff, the quality of the provision and the assessment of trainee’s teaching.

Olympic base

Our Walsall Campus Sports Centre is named as an official training base for the 2012 Olympics, available for athletes competing in Basketball, Judo and Taekwondo.

Renowned artist exhibits

A dozen stunning paintings are displayed in a public exhibition celebrating a lifetime of achievement by Frank Bowling. In 2005, Frank became the first black artist elected to the Royal Academy in its 200-year history.

Language experts take on China challenge

Wolverhampton researchers join the ‘Chinesecom’ initiative, a major European project to help business people learn Chinese.

April

Booming with business

The e-Innovation Centre on our Telford Campus reaches full occupancy as it houses some 60 growing businesses, with a waiting list for its business incubator units.

Pioneering policing

A pioneering new course is announced in partnership with West Midlands Police. The BSc (Hons) Policing will prepare students for a professional career in policing or allied occupations.

Setting the route for transport

New MSc courses in Transport and Environmental Management and Transport and Infrastructure are created to attract graduates who want to build a career and professionals who want to expand their knowledge.

Graduate wins international research award

At the International Research and Innovation Awards run by the Chartered Institute of Building, first prize goes to the University’s Carl Fergusson for his Masters Dissertation on sustainability in the UK highways sector.

Flood expertise

Flood damage expert Professor David Proverbs was invited to influence future policies on flooding through his contribution to the Pitt Review, a national Government report.

May

£12 million debut

Schools Minister, Jim Knight MP opens the new £12 million Education and Teaching building on our Walsall campus, offering learning space for 1,100 students.

New Dean for Applied Sciences

Professor John Darling, one of the UK’s leading figures in brain tumour research, moves from being Director of the Research Institute in Healthcare Sciences to become Dean of the School of Applied Sciences.

Europe comes to Wolverhampton

The third annual European First Year Experience Conference attracts 200 delegates from 16 different nations, including Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and a number of European countries.

PR students are ‘pitch perfect’

Two University of Wolverhampton students, Felix Wündsch and Tinu Adelegan win awards in The Pitch 2008, organised by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. Their prizes: summer internships at prestigious national PR agencies.

June

India visit opens doors

The University strengthens its outstanding links with Punjab education organisations following a successful trip to India. An agreement is signed between the Punjab Government’s Education Secretary and the University’s Vice-Chancellor.

Fairtrade celebration

More than one cup of Fairtrade tea is raised as the University celebrates the achievement of official Fairtrade status.

Leading the West Midlands

The award of an unprecedented seven Knowledge Transfer Partnership programmes secures our position as the West Midlands’ leading university in this important area.

Business award

Rishma Dattani, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programmes at the University of Wolverhampton Business School wins a Lloyds TSB Jewel award, recognising the achievements of Asian businessmen and women.

July

Hi-tech research

A new research group, the Wolverhampton Internet and Technology Society, studying the impact of the Internet and related technology on everyday lives is launched by members of the School of Applied Sciences.

Supporting Nepal’s poorest

The University wins a contract worth £8.5 million to run the Livelihoods and Forestry Programme in Nepal, which could benefit 18 per cent of the population through sustainable husbandry of Nepal’s forests.

Fellowship for Fellow

Senior Research Fellow, Dr Vinette Cross, is presented with a fellowship from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy for her contribution to the promotion of high standards in the profession.

Showcase

The University launches WLVdialogue, a quarterly stakeholder magazine designed to showcase our academic stars, research activities and business links to audiences at home and abroad.

August

Healthy addition

We announce a new BSc in Environmental Health, accredited by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

Computer stars up for BAFTA

A team of students from the School of Computing and Information Technology wins a national competition to design a new computer game, and is nominated for the BAFTA ‘Ones to Watch’ award.

Glass pathways

The School of Art & Design hosts the Creative Pathways Symposium to complement the international Glass Routes exhibition at Bilston Craft Gallery, exploring how artists unite materials, process, creativity, style, function and context.

Music in the key of art

Wolverhampton students will be using the latest music production equipment after Major Key Studios, who run two foundation degrees with the University, move into studios at West Bromwich arts centre, The Public.

September

Honour for Lisa

The University awards an honorary fellowship to Lisa Potts, who received the George Medal after trying to protect children in her care in 1996, for her tireless charitable achievements through her charity, Believe to Achieve.

Two Students of the Year

Two Wolverhampton students win Student of the Year awards in the Xcel Student Awards 2008, which celebrate the achievements of students from a multi-ethnic or minority group background.

Going!

Would-be auctioneers will be ‘going, going’ on an innovative degree course, as the University works with industry leaders to launch the new Foundation Degree in Auctioneering and Valuation – the first of its kind in the UK.

Opening salvo

A renowned military historian from the University is keynote speaker, opening the Chief of Army’s annual Military History Conference in Canberra. Dr Stephen Badsey speaks on The Military, the Media and Information Warfare.

October

A Journey in Bronze...

Is the title of an exhibition that celebrates the work of an acclaimed local medallist and sculptor, Ron Dutton, an internationally commissioned artist and former Head of Sculpture at the School of Art & Design.

Students strut Clothes Show catwalk

Our fashion students prepare for the Clothes Show Live 2008, with a collection that takes the theme of ‘tribal elegance’, using recycled materials donated by sponsors.

Audience exhausted

The Inspirational Leadership seminar series welcomes Miles Hilton-Barber, who was the first blind person to man-haul a sledge across Antarctica, as well as completing the Marathon des Sables across the Sahara, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and running an Ultra-Marathon race across China.

Union leader points way

Brendan Barber, General Secretary of the TUC presents the Crystal Lecture at the University’s Telford Campus on the theme of “New ways of working for new economic times”.

Special award for University Director

Dr Alan Collins, Director of Business Development and Enterprise, receives a Special Award for Outstanding Contribution to Knowledge Transfer Activities at the annual Lord Stafford Awards, in front of hundreds of regional business people at a ceremony in Worcester Cathedral.

Little feet, big feat

An innovative company set up by Dr Matthew Wyon, from the School of Sport, Performing Arts and Leisure, is a finalist in the Innovative Business of the Year category of the annual Startups Awards. As part of its exclusive range of dance shoes, clothing and accessories, it is marketing an advanced ballet shoe designed by Dr Wyon to significantly reduce serious injuries.

November

Wolverhampton calling

Brilliant Pongo, a refugee from Zimbabwe who is studying at the University, uses his journalistic experience to broadcast to his home country on SW Radio Africa and by texting the latest news to areas where their signal has been jammed.

Georgia on our minds

The University hosts a national workshop entitled ‘EU-Russia Relations after the War in Georgia’, organised by the British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies and the University Association for Contemporary European Studies.

University and colleges network

An innovative agreement to encourage more pupils to continue into higher education is signed by the University and 14 partner colleges.

Extraordinary Soldier

Captain Doug Beattie MC, author of An Ordinary Soldier, gives a talk at the University about his experiences in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Stretching across the Atlantic

Nick O’Leary, Senior Lecturer in Physical Education, uses Skype and a webcam to teach pupils at a school in Iowa about education and sport. As well as teaching prepared material, Nick goes face-to-face with the students on-line to answer their questions.

December

MBE

Senior Lecturer John Hay is officially recognised by the Queen, with an MBE for services to the Deaf community and higher education. John has played a key role in the development of Deaf Studies and in the wider deaf community.

Research excellence

The results from the latest Research Assessment Exercise, a peer review programme to evaluate research in UK higher education, show that the University has areas of research ranked among the best in the world.

Spreading the words

School pupils will be able to learn business phrases in Mandarin Chinese with the help of teaching resources developed at the University.

Professional forecast

The President of the Law Society of England and Wales discusses the challenges facing the legal profession during a lecture hosted by the School of Legal Studies. Mr Marsh gives advice on how practitioners can still succeed in the current financial climate,and looks into the future for the legal sector.

Vote of confidence

The University achieves an excellent outcome in its Institutional Audit by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, confirming the quality of learning experiences and management of academic standards.