TRUST – PSA Conference in Glasgow

Held on November 5-6 at the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow) the Annual Conference of the Media and Politics Group of the Political Studies Association.

Friendly but always deep discussions about many important topics of the present debate about politics and communcation.

Mediaresearch thanks Michael Higgins, Brian McNair and the University of Strathclyde for the warm hospitality and the contributions to our studies.

Studentship @ University of Dundee

UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE HISTORY PROGRAMME SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES
Studentship/Graduate Teaching Assistantship European Doctorate in Women’s and Gender History Bursary of £5,000 per annum plus fees paid. Fixed-term for three years.
Applications are invited for a Studentship/Graduate Teaching
Assistantship in History. Preference will be given to candidates interested in participating in the European Doctorate in Women’s and Gender History in which Dundee is a partner institution.

Deadline for applications: Monday, 2nd of November 2009.
For further details see:
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/humanities/postgrad/Studentship_History_2009.pdf

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Professor Perry Willson at
p.r.willson@dundee.ac.uk

20th International Screen Studies Conference

 Call for papers

20th International Screen Studies Conference

University of Glasgow, Scotland, 2-4 July 2010

Organised by Screen journal and programmed by Screen editor Karen Lury.

Confirmed plenary speakers:

• Chris Holmlund, University of Tennessee
• Andrew Klevan, University of Oxford
• Jacob Smith, University of Nottingham
• Lesley Stern, UC San Diego

“Screen performance” will be the subject of the plenaries and will form a strand running throughout the Conference. However, papers on any topic in screen studies, ie cinema, television and digital media, are welcome. Submissions for pre-formed, three-person panels will be considered but not prioritised.

Please send your 200-word proposal to arrive no later than Friday 8 January 2010, marking the subject box ‘Conference 2010‘, to screen@arts.gla.ac.uk

For updates, please visit http://www.screen.arts.gla.ac.uk.

Scottish University of the Year

University of Stirling is Scottish University of the Year

The University of Stirling has been named Scottish University of the Year by the Sunday Times newspaper, in recognition of the University’s “outstanding student experience and record for innovation and high quality teaching”.

Stirling jumped 10 places in The Sunday Times university league table published today (Sunday). Its rise from 42 to 32, its highest-ever ranking, followed excellent results in this year’s National Student Survey and a strong performance in last December’s research assessments.

It is the first time that the University of Stirling has won the award, and Professor Christine Hallett, Principal, said: “This is a superb accolade that underlines the overall quality of this University, and in particular the outstanding staff we have here.

“Our mission is to pursue world-class research, scholarship and learning, and the staff at the University of Stirling have worked extremely hard to raise standards. I am delighted that this award recognises their passion for innovation and excellence. We are now competing nationally and internationally with some of the best universities in the world.

“Students are at the heart of what we do and we provide one of the best all-round student experiences in the UK, with innovative and high quality teaching programmes that produce intellectually able graduates who are highly sought after by employers.”

The Sunday Times chose Stirling following in-depth research for its annual Sunday Times University Guide, which measures progress and standards in all of Britain’s universities.

A Sunday Times analysis of the latest National Student Survey results covers students’ views on teaching quality, assessment and feedback, the quality of learning resources and their overall satisfaction with university life. Since last year, Stirling’s score has risen from 74.1% to 78.7%, ranking it 23 in Britain and registering one of the biggest gains of any university in the UK.

Alastair McCall, Editor of The Sunday Times University Guide, said: “Stirling richly deserves its award. It has provided a distinctive higher education for the past 40 years in a fantastic setting. Its designation as Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence was an acknowledgement of one aspect of the high quality provision on offer to students. The Sunday Times award recognises Stirling’s offer to students on a much broader basis.

“High quality teaching is backed up by research demonstrating innovation and excellence across several subjects areas. The end result is highly employable graduates, who have benefitted from an outstanding student experience. No wonder they rate the university so highly.”

Tom Spencer, President of the University of Stirling Students’ Union, said: “Everyone at Stirling Students’ Union is delighted by the news, and warmly thanks The Sunday Times for their recognition.

“Stirling has demonstrated ever since its birth that it is not just one of the most dynamic and vibrant of the universities in Scotland, but across the UK.We are enormously proud of our relationship and role in working with the University in developing Stirling’s leading record on widening access, excellence in sport and world class student satisfaction. For the future, we intend to continue building on this success; to better educate, develop and enrich our students’ lives.

Mediaresearch supports Scotland

Alba

No at the ill informed campaign against Scotland

ALBA GU BRATH

Cybraphon

Cybraphon is the latest project from Edinburgh-based artist collective FOUND (Ziggy Campbell, Simon Kirby and Tommy Perman).

Inspired by early 19th century mechanical bands such as the nickelodeon, Cybraphon is an interactive version of a mechanical band in a box. Consisting of a series of robotic instruments housed in a large display case, Cybraphon behaves like a real band. Image conscious and emotional, the band’s performance is affected by online community opinion as it searches the web for reviews and comments about itself 24 hours a day.

Cybraphon at Inspace Gallery, Edinburgh

The project Cybraphon is comes to life at the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop (ESW).

Cybraphon is funded by the Alt-w Production Award administered by New Media Scotland and will be unveiled at the Edinburgh Arts Festival on 5 August 2009 in InSpace Gallery (Inspace, Crichton Street, Edinburgh EH8 9AB).

Text from: cybraphon.com

University of Stirling wins Indian Media Award

Stirling wins Indian media award

The Department of Film, Media & Journalism at the University of Stirling has been awarded the 2009 Business Communication School of the Year (International) by the Public Relations Council of India (PRCI).

The award was presented to Matthew Hibberd (pictured right), Senior Lecturer and deputy head of the Department, by B.S. Yeddyurappa, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, a region of India with a population of 53 million. There were 108 nominations for the awards.

The PRCI is the national body of Communication, Media, Advertising and PR professionals, with 18 chapters spread across India. The PRCI also has strategic international tie-ups with similar organisations in the world.

Their annual national ‘Chanakya Awards’ recognise the contribution made by people in Communication, Innovation, Media, Cinema, PR, Advertising, Rural leadership, Corporate leadership, Social leadership and there is also a PR Hall of Fame.

Congratulations to Prof. Matthew Hibberd!

Media and Politics Group. Annual Conference: “TRUST”

CALL FOR PAPERS MEDIA AND POLITICS GROUP

ANNUAL CONFERENCE: “TRUST”

THURSDAY 5TH – FRIDAY 6TH NOVEMBER UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE, Glasgow, UK

The annual conference of the Media and Politics Group of the Political Studies Association is to be held at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow and themed on “trust”. The conference runs through Thursday 5th and Friday 6th November, and will include a welcome reception on the Wednesday night. We now invite abstracts for papers. As well as a 200 word summary of the paper, these should include: full name and title, institutional affiliation and email address. While the conference is themed, we invite papers dealing with any aspect of the relationship between media and politics. The deadline for abstracts is Friday 12 June. Successful proposers will be notified by the end of June. At the conference, the Group will be awarding its annual James Thomas Prize for the most outstanding paper by a graduate student. We would be grateful if applicants would let us know if they intend to submit their paper for this award.

All abstracts and questions should be directed to MPG co-convenor, Michael Higgins: michael.higgins@strath.ac.uk

Archives and Auteurs at Stirling

Archives and Auteurs – Filmmakers and their archives

University of Stirling, 2nd 4th September 2009

2nd Call for papers

A reminder that the deadline for submission of abstracts for conference papers is Friday 20th February 2009.

Abstracts should be no more than 300 words in length and should be sent in a MS Word file to Professor John Izod (k.j.izod@stir.ac.uk). This conference will bring archivists, academics, curators and researchers together to discuss the ways in which the study of the archives of filmmakers and the film industry can provide new perspectives and insights into the history of cinema. Proposals for papers of 20 minutes in length are welcomed in the following areas: – archives, authorship and the directorial impulse – the transition from page to screen: evidence in the archives for artistic challenges and compromised visions – new perspectives on classic films – practical issues relating to the management and preservation of the archives of filmmakers – personal experiences of working with the archives of filmmakers – current issues, projects and initiatives in the field of cinema history Papers on other related topics are welcome; and in addition proposals for panels will be considered (please provide full details of subject and speakers). We shall also be glad to review proposals for contributions to a poster session which will be held on Thursday 3rd September. Abstracts will be reviewed externally and contributors will be informed of the outcome by Friday 13th March 2009.

More details about the conference can be found HERE

Robert Burns Day

Robert Burns, the Bard, was born in Alloway, South Ayrshire, exactly 250 years ago.

Mediaresearch celebrates, remembering him and his extraordinary poetic art.

Further informations about Robert Burns: HERE, HERE, and HERE

Robert Burns

“	My way is: I consider the poetic sentiment, correspondent to my idea of the musical expression, then chuse my theme, begin one stanza, when that is composed – which is generally the most difficult part of the business – I walk out, sit down now and then, look out for objects in nature around me that are in unison or harmony with the cogitations of my fancy and workings of my bosom, humming every now and then the air with the verses I have framed. when I feel my Muse beginning to jade, I retire to the solitary fireside of my study, and there commit my effusions to paper, swinging, at intervals, on the hind-legs of my elbow chair, by way of calling forth my own critical strictures, as my, pen goes.	„
Robert Burns