Tag: Edinburgh Napier University

Cycling Friendly Campus Award for Edinburgh Napier

University praised for commitment to encouraging cycling to and from campus 

Edinburgh Napier University’s commitment to getting more staff and students cycling to campus has been recognised with a top award from Scotland’s national cycling organisation.

The University’s Merchiston campus has received a Cycling Friendly Campus Award from Cycling Scotland in recognition of the support Edinburgh Napier offers to its cycling community.

Presented during the University’s Sustainable Travel Fair at Merchiston this week, the award – which is delivered with funding from Transport Scotland – sees Merchiston join Edinburgh Napier’s Sighthill campus in being accredited. The University also holds a gold Health Working Lives Accreditation.

The University’s Merchiston campus provides 100 bicycle storage spaces, with 14% of staff based at the campus using their bikes to get to and from work – 4% more than the 2020 vision of 10% set by Cycling Action Plan for Scotland.

Merchiston campus shows the highest number of staff and students travelling on foot and by bicycle out of the University’s three main campuses.

Overall, 66.8% of Edinburgh Napier staff and students either cycle, walk or take public transport when travelling to the University – something that Edinburgh Napier is committed to improving even further in the months ahead.

Kerry Dewar, Director of People and Services at Edinburgh Napier, said: “We are delighted to receive this award and would like to thank all of our staff and students who have shown a commitment towards sustainable travel.

“We hope to build on this by continuing to support our cycle to work agenda and aim to have even more people cycle to work in the future.”

Jamie Pearson, Environmental Sustainability Manager, said: “The support we receive from organisations such as Cycling Scotland is absolutely fantastic. Their resources and funding help the University to identify and develop better facilities on campus for current prospective cyclists.

“We will use the recommendations highlighted within the assessment to work with our community and plan our next steps. Thank you to everyone at the University that has contributed towards gaining this award.”

Cycling Scotland’s Valentin Jeanjean, who delivered the award, said: “With two-thirds of Edinburgh Napier students and staff travelling by bike, on foot or by using public transport, the University has worked hard to support its community to make sustainable transport choices.

“Having installed cycle storage, ran promotional events over the last four years and developed successful partnerships with external organisations such as Sustrans and Bike for Refugees, to name just a few, we’re very pleased to recognise the University with this well-deserved Cycling Friendly Campus Award.”

The award for Merchiston campus was received as Edinburgh Napier launched its 2020 Travel Survey at its Sustainable Travel Fair.

Guests from Sustrans, Lothian Buses, Edinburgh Trams, Police Scotland and Just Eat Cycles (Edinburgh’s Cycle Hire Scheme), joined staff and students with travel information and advice across all three campuses, with free bike advice and sustainable smoothies also available to attendees.

The Edinburgh Napier Travel Survey looks at travel behaviour by asking how people get to University and to meetings. It gives the participants a chance to comment on their journeys and what factors influence their travel choices.

The University will use its results to determine how best it can support and encourage more sustainable travel. The insight gained also helps it feed into public infrastructure consultations alongside calculating its carbon impact as a University.

The last survey was conducted in 2017 and had over 2000 responses. More information on Edinburgh Napier’s 2020 Travel Survey can be found here.

The Cycling Friendly Campus Award is run by Cycling Scotland with funding from Transport Scotland and recognises exemplar projects from Scotland’s college and university campuses where cycling is a real and accessible part of campus life.

Campuses can register to become a Cycling Friendly Campus at www.cycling.scot

ARMED short-listed for care award

ARMED, developed by HAS Technology, has been shortlisted as part of the Tomorrow’s Care Awards, an accolade that champions life-changing care technology that benefits both staff members and end-users. 

Proudly developed in Scotland, by a local team, ARMED was developed in collaboration with Edinburgh Napier University and Scotland’s Digital and Health Institute (DHI).

Set to commend and recognise the revolutionary work of the teams behind the products, the awards identify the most noteworthy care solutions in the industry for 2020. 

Tomorrow’s Care has shortlisted ARMED (Advanced Risk Modelling for Early Detection) as one of their finalists due to the innovative approach the technology has had in assisting people to live more independently and to reduce falls and associated hospital admissions. 

ARMED uses wearable technology to measure data associated with frailty and risk of falling, enabling those managing care to intervene at earlier stages, preventing more significant health risks. It also promotes self-management by making people more aware of a variety of indicators. 

A number of Scottish Councils have been instrumental with initially testing the technology and it was recently piloted with Scotland’s Loreburn Housing Association. The project saw successful results in just six months, with zero falls reported with the case study group. 

Brian Brown, Director of ARMED at HAS Technology Group, commented: “We are always striving to improve the lives of those receiving care and support and are thrilled our ARMED technology is being recognised across the UK, and not only in Scotland.  

“This nomination is testament to the hard work of each and every one of our team and we are thrilled to see digital transformation being embraced by the sector with an increased priority to improving lives, increasing independence and preventing health issues before they arise.”

With a proven success rate, as well as being in the 1% of companies chosen to be a Microsoft partner, ARMED has quickly expanded, demonstrating how AI and deep learning can revolutionise preventative care.

People are asked and encouraged to vote for the social care technology provider by visiting the Tomorrow’s Care website and clicking ‘Tomorrow’s Care Awards’.

Voters will then have the opportunity to read more about the finalists before clicking the link through to the voting page where they can submit their choice.  Voting closes on Friday 13th March. 

To vote for ARMED in the Tomorrow’s Care Awards, visit: https://www.tomorrowscare.co.uk/awards 

ARMED has also been recently announced as a finalist in the Digital Health and Care Awards and Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards.

To find out more about ARMED technology, visit https://www.armedprevention.co.uk/

Hollywood thriller will launch capital debate on ‘forever chemicals’

Edinburgh Napier Dean to lead panel discussion

EXPERTS will debate controversial ‘forever chemicals’ and the threat they pose to human health and the environment following a special preview screening of a powerful new Hollywood blockbuster.

Dark Waters, starring Mark Ruffalo and Anne Hathaway, is to be shown at The Cameo in Edinburgh’s Home Street on Tuesday February 25, three days ahead of its official UK opening.

The screening will be followed by a 45-minute panel discussion, hosted by Professor Gary Hutchison, Dean of the School of Applied Sciences at Edinburgh Napier University.

He will be joined by academics, environmental activists and business representatives for a discussion of the issues raised by the thought-provoking film, based on a notorious toxic chemical scandal in the USA.

In Dark Waters, directed by Todd Haynes, Ruffalo plays lawyer Rob Bilott, who became involved in a lengthy crusade against the DuPont chemical company over the pollution of West Virginia’s water supply with PFAS or per-and-polyfluoroalkyl substances used to make Teflon.

In 2017, DuPont and spinoff Chemours agreed to pay $671million to settle thousands of lawsuits. They included claims linked to thyroid disease, and kidney or testicular cancer.

Critics have hailed the new film as “a dense, angry drama” and “A David vs Goliath legal thriller for our times”.

Joining Professor Hutchison at the panel discussion and Q & A session, which follows a 6pm screening in Cameo 3, will be Professor Julie Fitzpatrick, Scientific Director of the Moredun Research Institute, and Dr Fiona Stainsby a senior lecturer in microbiology at Edinburgh Napier.

Environmental charity Fidra, who are leading on a petition asking UK supermarkets to stop packing products in PFAS, and the Arcadis consultancy will be represented by Dr Kerry Dinsmore and Ian Ross respectively.

PFAS are synthetic chemicals which don’t occur naturally and are known as ‘forever chemicals’ because they don’t break down in the environment.

Professor Hutchison said: “I am very much looking forward to seeing Dark Waters and feel sure that the screening will provoke a lively discussion afterwards.

“PFAS chemicals are found in food, food packaging and other everyday products, and the panel will provide expert input into the ongoing debate surrounding how they should be regulated and the need to protect human health and the environment.”

Register for Tuesday night’s event here

The event is jointly hosted by the University, Think-Film Impact Production , who believe the presence of forever chemicals in air, water, food and food packaging should be a pressing concern for Scottish audiences, and eOne.

Mikey cuts through at RTS Scotland Student Television Awards

A budding wildlife camera operator has had his film about urban foxes in Edinburgh recognised with a top industry award.

Edinburgh Napier TV graduate Mikey Sneddon recently won the Editing Award at the Royal Television Society (RTS) Scotland Student Television Awards held at the Everyman Cinema in Glasgow.

The prestigious event – an annual recognition of the finest student television production in Scotland – saw the 21-year-old praised for his film ‘My Urban Fox Film’, which documents his struggle of finding and filming urban foxes in Edinburgh.

The RTS Scotland award win is the latest accolade to be presented to graduate Mikey after he won the Clement’s Family Prize for Best Final Film when he graduated from Edinburgh Napier with a first class honours degree in 2019.

On winning the prize, Mikey – who is from Gorebridge in Midlothian – feels the recognition well greatly help him as he continues the transition from university into freelance life.

He said: “It was an absolutely fantastic feeling to win the award as it really vindicated all my hard work in my final year at Edinburgh Napier.

“To win in the editing category was such a shock. I worked tirelessly for this film as wildlife is something I am truly passionate about so to have that hard work recognised in this way is incredible.

“As a freelance camera operator, the award win has given me some extra credibility and it has definitely encouraged more interactions with production companies and professionals in the natural history sector.”

Mikey currently works as a freelance filmmaker at Edinburgh creative agency Daysix. While at Edinburgh Napier, he undertook a placement with RSPB Scotland which involved him directing, shooting and editing films to highlight the charity’s work. His work from this placement also featured on ‘Springwatch’ – the first time his work had been broadcast on national television.

Mikey added: “Working with Daysix has been a fantastic experience so far as it has allowed me to work with industry professionals and a variety of clients to make a lot of diverse work.

“Alongside this, I’m still ticking away at my goal as a wildlife camera operator. At the end of April and start of May this year, I am heading to the Isle of Mull to film otters and I am going to be continuing to make films and further my relationship with RSPB Scotland. I’m looking forward to a busy – and hopefully fruitful – year of filming and editing.”

You can view Mikey’s film ‘My Urban Fox Film’ here.

Nursing student’s play impresses judges

A gritty play written by a student and performed as a teaching aid has led to Edinburgh Napier being nominated twice in the prestigious Student Nursing Times Awards 2020.

Trisha Jeram has been shortlisted for ‘Most Inspirational Student Nurse of the Year’ for her work creating the play, ‘Cracks’.

The play tells the story of Bob and Debbie, whose lives gradually interweave to show stark differences in health outcomes due to unequal access to health and social care services.

Written and directed by Trisha (above), a third year Masters in Nursing student, Cracks stars a volunteer cast of amateur actors including nursing students, community actors and staff from the School of Health & Social Care.

Student nurse actor Siobhan Bourke said: “Trisha is a huge inspiration and an amazing person all round. If you bring your idea to the right people, in this case the lecturers at Edinburgh Napier University, it can reach its potential.”

Film studies students from Edinburgh Napier’s School of Arts & Creative Industries produced a film of Cracks, which is now part of an undergraduate nursing course on health and social care integration.

It is for this use of drama in nursing education that a team of School of Health & Social Care staff including Catherine Mahoney, Fiona Bastow, Bruce Harper-McDonald, and Richard Kyle were shortlisted in a second category – ‘Teaching Innovation of the Year’.

Using drama has helped students to understand the complexity and reality of health and social care integration.  On-going research led by the Cracks team is evaluating the impact that using drama has on students’ learning.

Speaking of the impact of drama in the classroom, student nurse actor Nicola Jamieson said: “Cracks has been really good at generating discussion. Interagency working and integration don’t sound like the most interesting topics but the film has given them a human face through Debbie and Bob.”

Cracks was performed live at the Summerhall in Edinburgh to a public audience in June 2019 using a novel combination of live action and recorded footage from the film.

Professor Alyson Tobin, Vice Principal of Learning and Teaching at Edinburgh Napier, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Trisha and colleagues in the School of Health & Social Care have been shortlisted for these prestigious awards.

“It recognises the talent and creativity of our students and staff, and just shows what can happen when we work together to push boundaries to create innovative teaching and learning approaches.

“Trisha’s nomination will inspire others to pursue their own passions to support student learning.  I wish her and my colleagues in the School every success on awards night.”

Winners of the Student Nursing Times Awards will be announced at an awards ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane on Friday 24 April.

Edinburgh Napier expands Graduate Apprenticeship programme

Edinburgh Napier Univeristy has strengthened its Graduate Apprenticeship programme with the announcement of nearly 200 new opportunities for people to study for an honours degree while in employment.

The University currently has 273 Graduate Apprentices actively studying across three cohorts. The first cohort joined Edinburgh Napier in September 2017.

The current batch of Graduate Apprentices will soon be joined by a fourth cohort, with the University announcing it has 185 new positions across a range of subjects within its School of Computing, Business School and School of Engineering and the Built Environment.

The courses available are:

BA (Hons) Business Management, BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering, BSc (Hons) Construction & the Built Environment, BEng (Hons) Engineering: Design and Manufacture, BEng (Hons) Cybersecurity, BSc (Hons) Data Science, BSc (Hons) IT Management for Business and BSc (Hons) Software Development.

Each programme has been assigned 20 new places, other than the BSc (Hons) Construction & the Built Environment programme, which offers 45 places across four different learning pathways: Building Surveying, Quantity Surveying, Real Estate Surveying and Architectural Technology.

Sally Smith, Dean of Edinburgh Napier’s School of Computing, said: “We are delighted to have more Graduate Apprenticeship places for 2020. Our previous experience shows how effective they are for employers with a need for new skills and for individual apprentices.

“Our apprenticeships appeal to school and college leavers, Modern Apprentices and existing employees. With our apprentices putting their skills to use immediately, both they and their employers benefit from day one.”

Graduate Apprenticeships have been developed by Skills Development Scotland in partnership with industry and the further and higher education sectors.

Graduate Apprenticeships are a new way for individuals to get qualified up to Masters degree level while in paid employment. They are designed by employers and offered in key sectors that need highly skilled employees. Anyone over the age of 16 who lives in Scotland is eligible, and there are no course fees to pay for apprentices or employers.

Participants spend approximately 80 per cent of their time in work and 20 per cent in university, and can qualify for entry based on both academic and relevant work experience.  Employers can either hire new recruits or upskill existing staff.

The strong emphasis on work-based learning, especially in latter stages of the degree, enables flexible learning approaches to best meet the needs and challenges of the apprentices.

Jessica Auld, who is working at Aegon while attending university one day a week to study a Graduate Apprenticeship in BEng (Hons) Cyber Security, said: “Studying at university and learning on the job means that I’m constantly learning and developing my skill set and knowledge.

“It’s exciting to know that at the end of four years I’ll have an honours degree plus four years work experience. For me, the role has opened up so many different opportunities and most importantly; I have met some great people along the way – my team and the other apprentices have been such a great support network.”

The programmes delivered by Edinburgh Napier have already delivered demonstrable success both for the apprentices and their employers. Some apprentices have even been promoted within 18 months of starting their GA, demonstrating the strong link between academic progression and professional development.

Jennifer Knights from NHS Education for Scotland, who is currently a workplace mentor for one of the apprentices, said: “I have been very impressed with Edinburgh Napier University and their Graduate Apprenticeship offer.

“I think it’s fantastic and we need a lot more of it. I think the reputation is growing as other managers see the impact and can recognise that this is making people excited about work.”

Diane Greenlees, Skills Development Scotland Director of Critical Skills and Occupations, said: “More and more Scottish employers are turning to Graduate Apprenticeships to meet their critical skills needs.

“Graduate Apprenticeships are industry-led and delivered with universities in Scotland, ensuring businesses have access to high-level skills and providing both new and existing employees with the opportunities to get a job and get a degree.”

For more information on Graduate Apprenticeship opportunities available at Edinburgh Napier, please visit www.napier.ac.uk/apprenticeships or email ga@napier.ac.uk

Return of the all-Edinburgh gridiron derby

THE 2020 Capital curtain-raiser for the big Super Bowl match in the USA is once again an all-Edinburgh affair, with Edinburgh Napier Knights hosting cross-town rivals University of Edinburgh Predators.

With the teams playing in different divisions, the Knights had to turn to Glasgow University for opposition in the last two versions of the annual American football Varsity match.

However, Sunday (February 2) will once again see the two Edinburgh clubs compete for the MacKenzie’s Challenge trophy at Meggetland, just hours ahead of the big Kansas City Chiefs v San Francisco 49ers clash in Florida.

A full programme of family entertainment, including music, a DJ, the Knights’ youth team and the Edinburgh Napier Panthers cheer squad, will accompany the fixture, which habitually draws a big crowd to the Meggetland stadium.

Edinburgh Napier Knights head coach Pete Laird said: “The event has come a long way in the last nine years, and it’s great to have our traditional rivals, the University of Edinburgh Predators, back as our opponents this year.

“The Knights program is currently having a great run of success, with three division titles in the last four years, and we have been outperforming our bigger neighbours in recent seasons.

“But to give our opponents credit, they have been enjoying a good year back in the higher division. As with any derby match, the formbook goes out the window, and it will be a very closely fought game.”

Pete added: “Last year’s Varsity game was postponed due to the weather and had to be shifted away from its traditional home at Meggetland, so we’re very excited to be back under the lights for the game, which is a real spectacle, with all its noise, colour and general craziness.”

The gates will open at 1pm on Sunday ahead of a 3pm kick-off.  Tickets – £5 for adults, £3 for students and free admission for under 16s – are available at the gates or on campus in advance.

Match tickets also include entry to the post-game Super Bowl Party at the Canalside Bar, Meggetland, from 8pm.

Intern of the Year award for graduate Caroline

A recent Edinburgh Napier graduate has had her excellent internship work recognised with a leading student impact award.

Caroline Tocher – who first graduated in 2018 with a degree in International Festival and Event Management before graduating in October this year with a Masters in Business Management with Entrepreneurship – recently undertook an internship at Business Fives, a company which runs corporate sports events with a charitable impact. Continue reading Intern of the Year award for graduate Caroline