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.

Unconventional Advertising

PRE-ANNOUNCEMENT

December 10th-11th @ LUISS University, Rome, Italy

Unconventional Advertising and Active Citizenship

International Conference

Further informations will be soon available here

LUISS School of Journalism titled to MASSIMO BALDINI

Si svolgerà Lunedì 19 maggio, dalle ore 9.30,

presso l’Aula Magna “Mario Arcelli” della sede di viale Pola, 12, la

Lectio Magistralis di Tullio De Mauro

IN CAMMINO ATTRAVERSO LE PAROLE

Dalla lingua quotidiana ai linguaggi speciali

e, a seguire, la

CERIMONIA DI INTITOLAZIONE

DELLA SCUOLA SUPERIORE DI GIORNALISMO

IN MEMORIA DEL PROF. MASSIMO BALDINI

Per informazioni e prenotazioni relazioniesterneluiss@luiss.it

Transforming Audiences 2

3 – 4 September 2009, University of Westminster, London, UK

All the informations HERE

Academic Year Opening Ceremony at LUISS (Rome)

2008/2009 Academic Year Opening Ceremony

Feb 16 2009 – 15:00 Timezone: Etc/GMT+1

Location: LUISS Headquarters, Viale Pola 12, Rome, Italy – Aula Magna “Mario Arcelli”

• Introduction by the Rector of LUISS Guido Carli
• Introduction by Pier Luigi Celli, General Manager, LUISS Guido Carli
• Speech by the Head of Student Representatives, LUISS Guido Carli
• Inaugural lecture by Prof. Sebastiano Maffettone on “Avidity and fear”
• Speech by Guest of Honor, Nikesh Arora, Senior Vice President, Google
• Conclusion by Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, President, LUISS Guido Carli

Further informations, please write to relazioniesterneluiss@luiss.it

PhD Studentship @ Aberdeen

The University of Aberdeen’s Film and Visual Culture Department is pleased to offer FOUR PhD studentships (three years, home fees only) and TWO taught M Litt in Visual Culture studentships (one year, home fees only) for students applying to commence their studies in 2009/10. Doctoral students have an opportunity to undertake a traditional thesis or one involving film practice-as-research, with a shorter written element. Supervision can either be pursued wholly within Film and Visual Culture, or depending on your topic, co-supervision arrangements are available with the following departments:
Anthropology
Archaeology
Business School
Gaelic Studies
History of Art
Music
Scottish and Irish Studies

For further details visit the Film and Visual Culture Department’s website, clicking HERE and contact: film@abdn.ac.uk

MeCCSA Conference 2009

MeCCSA Conference 2009 will be at National Media Museum, Bradford from Wed 14 to Fri 16 January 2009.

Confirmed plenary speakers:

• Shaun Moores  (University of Sunderland)
• Matthew Fuller (Goldsmiths)
• Laura Mulvey (Birkbeck University of London)
• Diane Negra (University College Dublin)
• Shearer West (AHRC)

Further informations about pricing charts, subscriptions, conference times, venue are available HERE

Ofcom appoints academic chair of national advisory committee

The UK communications regulatory body, Ofcom, has appointed Philip Schlesinger, professor in cultural policy and Academic Director of the Centre for Cultural Policy Research at the University of Glasgow, as chair of its national advisory committee for Scotland.

To Philip our warm and friendly congratulations.

ECC 08 – Philip Schlesinger

An interview to our friend Philip Schlesinger, in the frame of Ecrea Conference (Barcelona).

CREATIVE METHODS IN SOCIAL RESEARCH

On 1st-2nd December 2008, we are running a two-day workshop where participants can experience the Lego Serious Play process that you may have heard David Gauntlett talk about, and some other creative/visual methods.
It’s a rare opportunity to spend some time using and reflecting on new methods. This is based at City University (London, of course) and supported by the ESRC.
Further informations HERE