Tag: Edinburgh Napier University

School song created as part of project between Edinburgh Napier and Echline Primary

Project fosters creativity alongside leaving legacy for Primary Seven pupils

A project involving pupils from Echline Primary School and students and staff from Edinburgh Napier University has hit the right note with the creation of a new school song.

Echline Feels Like Home has been written, performed and recorded by primary seven pupils at the school, supported by staff and students from Edinburgh Napier’s music department.

The song – which is now available on Spotify – was devised over a number of writing sessions within the primary school before being recorded by around 50 pupils in June at a studio within the University’s Merchiston-based School of Arts and Creative Industries.

The project – which was the brainchild of Edinburgh Napier music academic Dr Zack Moir and his brother Jude Moir, headteacher at Echline Primary School – saw the pupils work with Edinburgh Napier music education students and embrace their creativity to write and produce the song which will now be left as a legacy gift to the school to be sung for years to come.

The song itself features lines such as ‘We are friends ‘til the very end, and we’re always there to show we really care’ as the primary seven pupils were encouraged to reminisce on their time at the school and sing about some of their favourite experiences from throughout the last seven years.

The project gave Edinburgh Napier music education students a valuable opportunity of working in a school setting and teaching pupils about writing songs and producing music.

The backing track to the song was recorded and performed by a number of Edinburgh Napier music students as they too gained valuable performing, working with young people, and collaborative project experience.

Dr Zack Moir, Associate Professor of Music at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “It was great to be able to create an opportunity for our music education students to get into a school and work with these excellent young people.

“It was beautiful for me and my colleague Bryden Stillie to get to see our students running workshops, leading writing sessions, and just getting the pupils to feel excited about music and helping them to really believe that they are capable of writing songs and singing!”

Jude Moir, Headteacher at Echline Primary School, said: “The project was fantastic from start to finish. It allowed us to think deeply about our values as a school, and what aspirations we had for the future.

“Working alongside the University students gave the project authenticity and made the creative process very real and exciting. This is something the children will remember forever, and the fact we can listen on Spotify was the icing on the cake.”

The full track is now available to stream at numerous places online including Spotify.

“We have become friends by going on this journey”

Afghan students who fled their home country celebrate Edinburgh Napier graduation

A group of Afghan students who came to Edinburgh Napier University following the evacuation of their home country have spoken of their pride at graduation.

Tens of thousands of people fled Afghanistan when the country’s government fell in 2021, amid the Taliban insurgency and withdrawal of international troops.

Amin Ul Haq Majeed, Bilal Rafi, Rafi Ullah Jabarkhail, Ahmad Reshad Halimi, Allahdad Afghan, Idress Rasooly, Mujeeb Rahman Fazli, Ibrahim Anwari and his brother, Abdur Rahim Anwari, have since made Edinburgh their home and completed their studies at ENU in several different subjects, including Computing and Business Management.

They picked up degrees during the University’s summer graduation ceremonies at the Usher Hall.

Abdur Rahim Anwari already had an offer to attend ENU when the evacuation of Kabul took place two years ago.

The 29-year-old said: “Suddenly everything changed. I informed Edinburgh Napier and they replied very quickly, offering me support such as hardship funds so I could study. This was a turning point for me.

“I didn’t even have ten pounds in my pocket when I arrived.

“It was a very difficult time, but thanks to the support from the University we have made it through.

“My fellow Afghan students were in the same situation. We have become friends by going on this journey together. We’re very thankful to the University.

“It is impossible now, but one day I want to go back home to Afghanistan with what I have learned.”

Bilal Rafi said: “2021 in Afghanistan was a very big problem – we lost everything when it all happened. But when we came here, Edinburgh Napier University helped us get started, and I am very thankful for that.

“It was a very scary time. We didn’t know anyone here and our families weren’t safe back home. Everything was at risk. Everything was unstable.

“On the first day when I came to the University, I didn’t know anyone – except Amin. We didn’t know anyone and we didn’t have anything.

“But it gave us the motivation, the inspiration to complete our education, and finally complete our degree.

“You can feel it when you are here in a safe place and your family is at risk. It was very difficult, mentally, especially for the first four, six months – I couldn’t sleep at night.

“But later on, with the help of Edinburgh Napier University, especially the Safeguarding Team, we did it.”

Student graduates as a new mum and a newly minted engineer

Olabusayo’s baby daughter will watch her mum graduate thanks to support from tutors

Olabusayo was in the midst of studying for an MSc in Advanced Materials Engineering and keeping up with the busy rhythm of deadlines, lectures, and lab practicals when she discovered she was expecting a child.

Initially, she was apprehensive about how she would cope with studying alongside the demands of pregnancy and motherhood. Balancing her various university activities with hospital appointments and safety in the lab seemed daunting, and Olabusayo was keen to find reassurance that her needs would be accommodated.

Fortunately, she received an abundance of support from her tutors in the School of Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment. Olabusayo praises her Module Leader, Neil Shearer, explaining that Neil assured her that she would be offered any help she needed to juggle her pregnancy and progressing her studies.

She was also supported as she began writing her dissertation in January, and she felt that she always had someone to turn to for guidance.

Olabusayo says: “I got all the help I needed. It was so smooth and easy – I wasn’t left to do things alone. It was just a great experience for me”.

As Olabusayo’s dissertation presentation quickly approached, so did the arrival of her baby; her scheduled presentation date even clashed with her due date, but her project supervisor Mark Dorris helped her to have the presentation date brought forward.

Now, Olabusayo’s hard work has paid off as she triumphantly graduates with daughter Keonna in her arms. 

She concludes: “My graduation journey has been such a blessing, and I’m grateful for all the help I got from my lecturers during term time”.

Gown on one knee: New Edinburgh Napier graduate says yes to post-ceremony proposal

Shannon now has two reasons to celebrate

An Edinburgh Napier University Veterinary Nursing student had an especially memorable graduation day – as her partner proposed outside the Usher Hall following her ceremony.

After collecting her degree, Shannon Ward met her family at The Napier GRADUATE Graduate pub, where Jamie Carty popped the question – and got the answer he was hoping for. The moment was captured on video by Shannon’s mum Clair and cheered by many other new graduates nearby.

Shannon, from Consett in County Durham, said she had no inkling of what her other half had planned for her big day. She said: “I had no idea! I even pointed out some jewellery I liked as we passed shops on the way here and he stayed quiet.

“My reaction … just shock and awe! Jamie has always said he wouldn’t propose to me in front of people, so it completely took me aback. “It’s been such a great day!”

Jamie, from Darlington, County Durham, said he had a tough time keeping the idea quiet. He said: “I was so nervous, but I just tried to focus on Shannon as I was saying the words – and not think about all the people around!

“I wanted it to happen somewhere which is already associated with so many wonderful memories. It made the nerves worthwhile!”

While the happy couple turn their attention to planning a wedding, Shannon is already putting her studies to good use, finding work in Northumberland.

One of Edinburgh’s oldest pubs transformed into The Napier Graduate for the class of 2023

As over 2,500 students make their way to the Usher Hall in Edinburgh to attend their graduation ceremony, one of Edinburgh’s oldest pubs, Shakespeare’s on Lothian Road, has rebranded as The Napier Graduate in honour of the university’s class of ’23.

For three days only from Wednesday 5 July to Friday 7 July, Shakespeare’s will be known as The Napier Graduate. Capturing the celebratory mood of the graduates, the pub has been decked out in red and white Napier livery, changing everything from the outdoor signs to the beermats in tribute of the new graduates and providing a welcoming space to celebrate with families and loved ones.

July 2023 marks Edinburgh Napier University’s biggest graduation celebration to date with six ceremonies spread over three full days, honoring the graduates of all five of the University’s Schools.

To mark the occasion the original Shakespeare’s signage has been replaced with the new Napier branding resulting in a complete redesign of the pub to make it the place to celebrate after graduation.

Among those graduating are Eilidh Skye Denny, an aspiring lawyer who was the first in her family to attend university. Hailing from Greenock, Inverclyde, Eilidh has completed an LLB Law degree at Edinburgh Napier University’s Business School at the age of just twenty-two   and hopes to inspire other youngsters from less advantaged backgrounds.

Eilidh said: “Coming from a socially deprived area, as well as one of the poorest areas in Scotland, has been hard, but I have been able to challenge this and prove the statistics wrong, which has been rewarding.”

“My aim is to be able to inspire others who come from a similar area or background, to show that anything is possible when you put your mind to it and put the work in.”

This is not the first time Edinburgh Napier University has pulled out all the stops to celebrate its graduates. In 2021, the University held a city takeover, which saw the name of graduates displayed across 18 billboards, 100 bus stops, an Edinburgh Tram, and a taxi, accompanied by messages underlining the University’s pride in them and offering congratulations on their success. 

Professor Andrea Nolan, Principal and Vice Chancellor at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “Graduations in the Usher Hall are the highlight of the year for me and Shakespeare’s has been synonymous with celebrations after our ceremonies for as long as I can remember.

“To support recognition of the achievements of our class of ’23, we are dedicating a special place for them to celebrate with family and friends. The warm and welcoming staff at the newly named The Napier Graduate are the perfect hosts to help raise a toast to our new graduates as they embark on their next chapter after university.”

Izzy Polson, General Manager of Shakespeare’s said: “We love welcoming the new graduates to the pub each year. It’s always such a fun and celebratory time so we were delighted to be rebranded as The Napier Graduate to make this year even more special.

“As one of Edinburgh’s oldest pubs, Shakespeare’s was built at the same time as many of the theatres of the area, so you never know, I could be serving the next Shakespeare!”

The Napier Graduate is open from Wednesday 5 July to Friday 7 July 2023 at 65 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH1 2DJ.

New Sassoon poem ‘returns home’ to Edinburgh Napier’s War Poets Collection

‘Glory of Women’ was written at Craiglockhart and first published in 1917

An original manuscript of a poem by Siegfried Sassoon has ‘returned home’ to Edinburgh Napier’s Craiglockhart campus more than 100 years after it was written in the same location.

Glory of Women was written by Siegfried Sassoon, and this manuscript copy was given to fellow patient and poet Wilfred Owen when both were residing at Craiglockhart War Hospital in 1917.

The hospital – which is now home to Edinburgh Napier University’s Business School – was previously a hydrotherapy centre in the late 19th and early 20th century before being requisitioned as a hospital for WWI officers affected by what was then known as shell shock.

The manuscript has been donated to the University’s War Poets Collection by Scottish playwright and poet Stewart Conn. He was, from 2002 to 2005, Edinburgh’s inaugural makar (poet laureate).

The poem was acquired by Conn after another eminent playwright Stephen MacDonald named him as his literary executor for documents and manuscripts relating primarily to his stage plays Not About Heroes and In the Summer of 1918 – both of whichwere directed by Conn when he was BBC Scotland’s head of radio drama.

Prior, the manuscript was given to Conn in 1984 by painter and art critic Cordelia Oliver, who in turn had received it from her close friend Audrey Lintott – wife of Henry John Lintott, whose painting Avatar was the finest picture in the Edinburgh Gallery according to Wilfred Owen – when she passed away in 1983.

A large part of the current War Poets Collection was previously acquired directly from Stephen MacDonald who – via bequest in 2009 – kindly left Edinburgh Napier his research collection on Owen and Sassoon.

It is therefore fitting that Glory of Women has found its way back to Craiglockhart, completing a journey that has taken it to all corners of the country throughout the last 100+ years.

Stewart Conn said: “Stephen (MacDonald) subsequently left to me as his literary executor his documents and manuscripts, relating primarily to the stage plays Not About Heroes and In the Summer of 1918.

“The bulk of these were, with a selection of theatre posters, duly lodged in the National Library of Scotland as a donation to their Scottish Theatre Archive. The poem MS, of no dramatic importance, I retained as a memento of him.

“Sensing that purpose was now served, I hope it will be seen as a fitting addition to Edinburgh Napier’s War Poets Collection where it can remain on public display rather than gather dust in a vault; and like to think of this as enabling its proper ‘ homecoming’.”

Laura Cooijmans-Keizer, Edinburgh Napier’s Special Collectors Curator, said: “Glory of Women is a poignant poem that demonstrates the conflicting pressures faced by men fighting in the trenches.

“The idealised expectations of glory and heroism that women at home – both in Britain and Germany – projected onto soldiers was often in direct competition with the stark, and often decidedly unheroic realities of war.

“The kind donation of this important manuscript poem by Siegfried Sassoon will offer a unique opportunity for it to be studied, appreciated, and debated at the place where it was first composed.”

Professor Andrea Nolan, Principal and Vice Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, said: “Edinburgh Napier University extends its heartfelt gratitude to Stewart Conn, whose generous donation has made it possible for the manuscript to return to its original place of creation.

“Within the context of the wider War Poets Collection exhibition, this important poem will have the potential to inspire countless future generations of students, authors, readers, and scholars.”

Edinburgh Napier’s War Poets Collection comprises more than 800 items, including many unique items that the University is proud to own, such as signed first edition books, volumes of poetry by Sassoon and Owen and three original issues of The Hydra, the hospital’s magazine.

The permanent exhibition within Craiglockhart Campus allows visitors to view the War Poets Collection and gain an insight into the personal and social experiences of war through the words, memories, voices and objects that the officers, medical staff and relatives left behind.

More details on the collection can be found here.

Scotland’s first dedicated Masters degree in sports journalism launched at Edinburgh Napier University 

New course builds on long-established journalism programme

Scotland’s only dedicated Masters degree in sports journalism has been launched at Edinburgh Napier University.  

Building on the success of the University’s long-established journalism programme, this new offering will specialise in digital storytelling for sports coverage in print, online and broadcast.  

The course – which will utilise the University’s multi-platform digital newsroom and studios for both television and radio – will give students the chance to learn and develop a wide range of practical skills for sports journalism, including those required in the areas of commentary and punditry.  

Teaching will be adapted to cater for a range of mediums including TV, radio, podcast, online and newspapers, with students also getting the chance to learn software such as Burli for audio and Avid for video editing.  

The programme is being led by David Tanner. David is well-known in the national media scene, best known for anchoring live football on Sky Sports, he has also hosted on BT Sports, STV News, Sky Sports News and Sky News.  

His career has taken him to more than 30 countries to cover sport, including the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Alongside his role at Edinburgh Napier, David is Scotland correspondent for talkSPORT, the world’s biggest sports radio station.  

Edinburgh Napier’s long-established journalism programme celebrated its 45th anniversary in December last year, with a number of its alumni going on to have highly-respected, high-profile careers within the industry.  

In sports journalism specifically, names like David Tanner and his Sky Sports colleague Jim White, Chris McLaughlin, Orla Chennaoui and Amy Canavan have all stepped through the University’s doors at Merchiston campus before going on to be regulars on TV, radio and in newspapers discussing all things topical in the world of sport.  

Last year, Edinburgh Napier was named a top 3 UK university for journalism, publishing and public relations in the 2023 Guardian University Guide. 

Programme Leader for the new MA in Sports Journalism at Edinburgh Napier David Tanner said: “The new MA Sports Journalism is a wonderful opportunity for people like me who have a passion for both sport and the media. I have been fortunate to travel the world to present live sport to big audiences and cover big sports news stories, enjoying every minute of the work.  

“There are many job opportunities covering men’s and women’s sports for media outlets and, increasingly, within sporting clubs and organisations, so it seems the right time to launch this new sports-centred offering. 

“I am looking forward to working with colleagues in the University, backed-up by well-known external contributors from the media. The MA Sports Journalism is a whole new ball game for the teaching of journalism.” 

Dr Diane Maclean, Dean of Edinburgh Napier’s School of Arts & Creative Industries, said: “Edinburgh Napier’s journalism programme has a rich heritage and has helped to develop many of the country’s finest journalists throughout the past 45 years.

“The MA in Sports Journalism is an exciting new chapter for the programme and we look forward to nurturing the next generation of sports journalists, reporters, pundits and podcasters in the months and years ahead.” 

Applications for the new MA in Sports Journalism at Edinburgh Napier are now open. 

Tears of Laughter

Project helps families find solace during dementia journey

An Edinburgh Napier degree show project is helping families find solace during a dementia diagnosis – by bringing laughter to the fore.

Tears of Laughter, by fourth year graphic design student Claire Todd, encourages families to journal the lighter, funnier moments they experience with someone affected by dementia as an alternative coping method for the condition.

Alongside the journal, Claire has also designed a series of stickers and shapes that can be used to illustrate the book with memories. Storytelling dice also act as a prompt for those wishing to use the resource.

The eye-catching journal – which is currently on display as part of Edinburgh Napier’s 2023 Degree Show at its Merchiston campus – is bright, tactile, and full of fun and has been developed with the support of several families who currently have a loved one affected by dementia.

Claire was inspired by her own experiences with dementia after her gran, Gladys’ own journey with the condition sadly came to an end in 2021.

Although she didn’t journal at the time, the 21-year-old and her family from Fauldhouse, West Lothian would regularly reminisce about some of the funnier things her Gran had said during their many visits to see her.

And it was from here, and a desire to document many of these memories, that the idea for Tears of Laughter was born.

Claire said: “The idea for Tears of Laughter really stemmed from my own experience of watching my gran suffer from dementia. It was a really tough time for the family, but the funny things she’d say and do would make us laugh and lighten the situation by a fraction for a moment.

“It was those moments that helped us cope and provided us with lighter memories during a tough time. The funny things she said made care home visits bearable and it strengthened the bond with my gran at a time when it was difficult to bond.

“Tears of Laughter is a resource that allows adults and grandchildren affected by dementia to document the funny and lighter memories during their loved one’s dementia journey. Ultimately it creates a personal journal of nicer memories to look back on during a tough time. The journal is somewhere to escape the darkness of dementia for a moment and is a space to reflect on those nicer memories.

“As a family, I feel we had to use humour to cope. It was the only way of finding some light during that time. Dementia is a really upsetting disease to watch someone you love suffer from, so using humour would sometimes reduce its full impact.

“I really hope the idea behind this journal can help families find just a little bit of happiness during this tough time. I love how my knowledge in graphic design through my studies has given me the toolkit to design material to potentially help those who are struggling.”

Claire’s project, along with many others, is currently on display at Edinburgh Napier’s 2023 Degree Show as its Merchiston campus. The show, which is an annual celebration of talent from its School of Arts and Creative Industries, until 8pm on 1 June.

More information on the show can be found at www.napier.ac.uk/degreeshow.

Edinburgh Napier Degree Show award winners announced

Awards have been handed out to celebrate School of Arts and Creative Industries students

A selection of outstanding projects from Edinburgh Napier University’s 2023 Degree Show have been recognised with a series of awards, including Best in Show for five different subjects.

The prizes were presented during the launch of Edinburgh Napier University’s annual celebration of work from the School of Arts and Creative Industries at its Merchiston campus, attended by students, guests and industry experts.

People have the chance to see the diverse projects – including the prize winners – until 1 June.

Dr Diane Maclean Dean of the School of Arts and Creative Industries said: “Our students should be proud of the work they have put in to prepare for this year’s Degree Show – which celebrates such a diverse range of creative skills.

“These Best in Show winners have shown outstanding talent to be recognised among an imaginative and innovative group of peers.”

Prizes were handed out to these winners across the following categories:

Interior & Spatial Design

The Form Design Award – Cloé Robson, Rapt in Awe

Cloé’s imagining of an immersive visitor experience at the Whaligoe Steps at Lybster, in the Scottish Highlands, features a cantilever waterfall walkway and suspended viewing platform. Judges at Form Design described the idea as ‘invigorating’.

Best in Show, sponsored by Bright – Jacqueline Borland, Future Moves

SACI Degree Show 2023. Graduation Show 2023 – Edinburgh Napier University – Thu 25 May 2023 (© Andy Catlin www.andycatlin.com)

Future Moves is the vision of a careers, knowledge and learning hub in the heart of Glasgow’s West End. It drew praise from judges Bright for being a strong, confident submission.

Graphic Design

StudioLR Gutsy Graduate Award – Ben Polley, The Good People of Scotland

Dedicated to keeping ancient Scottish folklore and folk tales alive through contemporary design and streetwear, Ben Polley created The Good People as a subscription-based community – which impressed judges at StudioLR.

Best in Show – Kiera McGrory, Retrojet

SACI Degree Show 2023. Graduation Show 2023 – Edinburgh Napier University – Thu 25 May 2023 (© Andy Catlin www.andycatlin.com)

Described as ‘fun’ and ‘playful’ by judges, Kiera McGrory’s project Retrojet satirises the excesses and hypocrisies of the travel industry with bright, eye-catching designs in the style of holiday marketing.

Product Design

Best in Show, sponsored by Bright Red Triangle – Anna Hardie, Tabs

Anna Hardie’s product Tabs is a wireless organisation system for refilled ingredients, encouraging shoppers to ditch packaging. Bright Red Triangle judges praised her consideration for customers and how best to take the idea to market.

Creative Advertising

Best in Show, sponsored by Studio Something (with Innis & Gunn) – Brianna Price and Mairi Macrae, Heineken Stim

Heineken Stim takes a brief from the brewing giant to create a campaign around a bottle to make socialising more fun for people with neurodiversity. Judges Studio Something hailed the teamwork shown by Brianna Price and Mairi Macrae to come up with the idea.

Photography

Fine Art Award, sponsored by WEX Photo Video – Christy Cannon, The Death of a Princess

Inspired by stories such as those of the Brothers Grimm, The Death of a Princess subverts stereotypical depictions of women in fairy tales by eliminating their dependency to male figure.

Commercial Photography Award, sponsored by WEX Photo Video – Bethany Craig, Slow it Down

Slow It Down focuses on sustainable fashion – aiming to demonstrate the possibilities of a more ethically-conscious fashion industry which is less reliant on over-production and consumption.

Best in Show – Abi Avery, Beyond the Sport

SACI Degree Show 2023. Graduation Show 2023 – Edinburgh Napier University – Thu 25 May 2023 (© Andy Catlin www.andycatlin.com)

Abi Avery’sportrait series Beyond the Sport combines audio and imagery to celebrate women and non-binary athletes. Judges praised the project for its intimacy and connection with the subjects.

Report calls for Scotland-wide framework and coordinated action on collection and use of care home data

The ‘GEAReD Up’ project examined how data about care home residents can currently be accessed and used

A study led by Edinburgh Napier University recommends developing a national framework for care home data – to benefit residents and inform Scotland’s health and social care services.

The research, entitled ‘GEAReD Up’, proposes a series of practical steps to strengthen the data of care homes and ensure that the currently available information can be used by providers, researchers, policy makers and innovators to make improvements.

A call for a robust Scotland-wide framework, is among eight recommendations in the final report, as well as a clear pathway for accessing ethical and governance approval for the re-use of data.

It also recommends backing greater care home involvement in these solutions with more support and resources, while establishing better communication and coherence between local and national systems.

Lucy Johnston, GEAReD Up lead and Senior Research Fellow at Edinburgh Napier University’s School of Health and Social Care, said: “Amid the prospect of a National Care Service, there is a real desire to understand and address the issues faced by the sector.

“Our work has helped to unravel some of problems relating to data and offer practical solutions for the management and accessibility of crucial information.

“It is so important to build these foundation blocks now. This work can help play a part in enhancing the use of routinely collected care home data being used to support care decisions, improve services, inform research and increase data-driven innovation”.

The study, which has been presented to industry leaders and delivery partners, will also feed into a Scotland-wide Care Home Data Review, which is currently underway.

It suggests that an overseeing body and a more established process for systematic curation of routinely collected care home data would allow more effective reuse of data in research and innovation projects, and benefit care home residents and providers.

Irina McLean from NHS Research Scotland Central Management Team, and co-author of the report, said: “In Scotland, there is currently no consensus or defined route for the legal, ethical and efficient access to permit reuse of care home data for research or service evaluation.

“The GEAReD Up report sets out practical steps for moving forward. Its recommendations can feed into ongoing work nationally and locally as it is critical to do what we can to enable high quality research and innovation in Scottish care homes and social care overall.”

Fellow co-author Dr Susan D Shenkin, Reader in Ageing and Health at the Usher Institute and Advanced Care Research Centre within the University of Edinburgh said: “This report builds on our work showing that a care home data platform must have strong foundations to ensure it meets the needs of care home residents, their families and the staff who care for them.

“This requires a clear understanding of how and why data are collected about the people who live in care homes.”

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