Enterprising Times Newsletter of the Faculty of Business, Education and Law January/Febuary 2014

Transcription

1 Newsletter of the Faculty of Business, Education and Law January/Febuary 2014 British University Vietnam announces Ecopark campus design...

2 Page 2 Editorial A new year and so some new opportunities. One of the biggest of these is the start of the EU funding round which started in January and will run until Programmes have been consolidated and tweaked, calls are starting to come out and workshops for guidance are already running. Whether it is research, curriculum development, knowledge transfer or mobilities, activities all have EU funding available to support them. Funding is also available to support SMEs and local authority activity. One organisation that can provide support is Greater Birmingham and West Midlands Brussels Office at The CERAM group (whose headquarters are in Stoke but has branches in the USA) has been re-named to Lucideon from 1st February (more details are at It is good to see such a highly skilled and successful company based in the city. The recent Centre for Cities report had good news for Stoke in terms of job creation, but as the report shows Stoke still has major problems with education levels and start up rates. More information can be found at If you are interested in working on these issues with us, please get in touch. In this edition, we have extended sections on rural enterprise and on sustainability. Thanks to Garikai and Tom for puttting the edition together. Jon Fairburn To subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter please jon.fairburn@staffs.ac.uk. Back issues can be found at Contents Editorial...2 Collectica in partnership with Staffordshire University rolls out national bailiff training Dave Tapp...3 Rural Enterprise: Emily Whitehead, Simply Staffordshire a new columnist for Enterprising Times...4 Rural Enterprise: workshops by Simply Staffordshire and the Business School at Staffordshire University...5 Rural Enterprise: why work with the Business School at Staffordshire University?...5 Rural Enterprise: two great places for food and drink...6 Rural Enterprise: student profile Abby Littler...7 Rural Enterprise: Staffordshire Rural Forum...7 Rural Enterprise: European websites...7 Sustainability: British University Vietnam announces Ecopark concept...8 Sustainability: student intern Olamide Okeowo...8 Sustainability: Staffordshire University sustainability event (DRAFT)...9 Sustainability news...9 Seven great books to help you improve or make you think Jon Fairburn...10 Opening doors for a Staffordshire Graduate Angela Lawrence...11 Tourism and Events Management students visit Manchester Christmas Markets...12 Staff Profile Sarah Misra...13 Staffordshire University is shortlisted in two categories in the Midlands Business Awards...13 Faculty planning event...14 Staff profile Kate Dale...15 Flux Ceramics Mark Downie...15 Law competition winners...16 Publications and book reviews...17 Blogs and websites of interest...17 Staffordshire University academics on Twitter...18 Staffordshire University Open Days Second group of Lebanese scholars joins the Business School s DBA...19 Distribution of Enterprising Times...20 Notes for contributors...20 Re-use of material...20 Deadlines for

3 Page 3 Collectica in partnership with Staffordshire University rolls out national bailiff training Dave Tapp Tammy Willett from the For Business team and Dave Tapp, the Academic Group Leader for Crime Justice and Public Law in the Law School, have teamed up again to offer an additional bespoke workbased learning package to another commercial client, Collectica. This was after their recent success in re-energising the links on the Foundation Degree in Offender Management. Collectica is a specialist debt recovery and enforcement agency working on behalf of both public sector and Government. They are committed to providing an equitable service in the collection of financial penalties imposed by Crown and Magistrates courts and other public agencies by utilising a tailored, consultative approach to ensure that every debtor profile can be catered for in a considerate manner. The company approached the Faculty of Business, Education and Law looking to build on the successful Offender Management package to produce learning and teaching awards for bailiffs operating in England and Wales. Darren Connor, National Operations Manager for Collectica Enforcement Services said My organisation have been very impressed with the learning and teaching provided by Staffordshire University for our staff in the prison sector, the time was right for us to develop our other services. We felt that it was important to provide our expanding team of enforcement officers some extra knowledge on topics like human rights and the Equality Act Dave Tapp and Louis Martin from the Law School, pictured above left and right respectively with the Collectica team, produced a professional bespoke training package combining law, diversity and conflict management. Dave said: This was a challenge, as distress and distraint is a highly specialised area of the law; we thoroughly enjoyed working with the Collectica staff as they were already very knowledgeable, so together we made a great team. The training rolled out at the companies training facility at Enfield, London in September 2013 and further sessions have been held throughout the country. One of the first students to enrol on the course Emanuel Manny Okotie said: I am an experienced bailiff; however I must admit I felt nervous at the thought of a written assessment and practical test. The team from the University put us at ease and explained how to transfer our street skills to the classroom. Tammy Willett, pictured on page 4, commented: We had some great results and feedback from the learners and this has put us in a competitive position for future work for training enforcement officers in a range of other services including Council tax collection and Traffic Management issues; it builds on the University s already successful CPD offered to commercial clients.

4 Page 4 Since the inception of the Faculty of Business, Education and Law, the For Business team and faculty staff have been working continuously to increase external income into the faculty and enable this direct work based knowledge to inform the curriculum. New programmes relevant to industry are being explored. This is done by taking academic theory and embedding it throughout commercial practice. Louis Martin said: It is great to work with a diverse team in nontraditional areas of learning and teaching. Dave and Louis are back in London in February to work with Collectica to train a new intake of bailiffs and are looking forward to providing further services based on enforcement. Contact Dave at D.Tapp@staffs.ac.uk or on +44 (0) For information on For Business, visit Rural Enterprise: Emily Whitehead, Simply Staffordshire a new columnist for Enterprising Times We have recently started working with Emily Whitehead on a number of rural enterprise projects and we are delighted that Emily will be writing a regular column for us from now on. Emily is the founder of Simply Staffordshire, a hand-picked guide to Staffordshire. This unique business network celebrates stand out Staffordshire based business and charities by supporting them to grow and work together through marketing, networking and knowledge sharing. Emily s background was one of sales and marketing within the pharmaceutical sector, training the national sales team as well as managing a business region. Once she had her children however, Emily fulfilled a lifelong ambition to run holiday accommodation in her home county. Simply Staffordshire, the name, was born at this point although just offering award winning, eco holiday accommodation in North Staffordshire for 7 years. During this time, Emily realised that her own network of stand out businesses that she recommended to guests and worked with, could be expanded to capture the magic of the county as a whole. In 2011, Simply Staffordshire became a hand-picked guide. Emily is passionate in her belief that local, independent business forms the bedrock of a county and her love and knowledge of Staffordshire is at the centre of her business today. Drawing on her experience as a trainer, mentor and business owner, Emily now supports a network of over 100 members of Simply Staffordshire through networking, marketing, knowledge sharing and training. Whether simply using social media to celebrate a member business or working with larger organisations to negotiate preferential deals for her members, Emily is focussed on bringing together local business, customers, charities and organisations to support the local economy and environment. Emily also works with business support agencies to deliver workshops, training, one to one consultancy and mentoring to help small businesses especially to gain skills and confidence specifically in areas like social marketing, environmental business and online practice. Contact Emily on at facebook/simplystaffordshire or at +44 (0)

5 Page 5 Rural Enterprise: workshops by Simply Staffordshire and the Business School at Staffordshire University Title Date/time and Venue Staff Content Marketing research for the small business Friday 14th February Foxlowe Centre, Leek, Vicky Roberts (Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Brand Management) and Linda Phillips (Academic leader for Enterprise, Marketing and Services). Finding, analysing and using existing data. Examples of free data, data available for businesses in the rural and tourism sectors in Staffordshire. Analysing the competition. Collecting data from social media sites. Improving service quality and the visitor experience Friday 7th March Aston Marina Carol Southall (Lecturer in Tourism and Event Management) and Sue Clews (Senior Lecturer in Marketing) Defining service quality. Understanding visitor needs. Exploring visitors emotions, satisfaction and behavioural intention. Quality labels and SEQM Friday 21st March Aston Marina Carol Southall (Lecturer in Tourism and Event Management) and Emily Whitehead The importance and recognition of quality labels. What s in it for me? Understanding the process. Limited to a maximum of 10 people, lunch is included in the workshops. We are only looking for rural businesses or those thinking of starting up a business to attend the sessions. This will be done in a workshop format so there will be plenty of opportunity for discussion and asking questions. 10 for members of the Simply Staffordshire network; 15 to others. Bookings can be made through Emily Whitehead on +44 (0) or +44 (0) , or at emily@simplystaffordshire.co.uk. Visit for further information. Rural Enterprise: why work with the Business School at Staffordshire University? We are here for the long term and looking to develop long term collaborations. This will provide continuity to you and allow us both to benefit from long term relations to our mutual benefit. We have a great deal of flexibility in terms of the types of collaboration we can do, and are interested in what businesses want not just what we can supply. Part of the rural enterprise workshops detailed above will be finding out what future subjects and assistance you are interested in as well as explaining the different types of engagement possible with the university. To start we can do very small and easy collaborations that don t cost you money but can provide you with new ideas and perspectives. We can also do longer and more in-depth collaboration, for example, through short, medium or long term student projects. Each workshop will also include a range of examples of different types of collaboration available, including from businesses we have already worked with. If you can t make any of the sessions but would still like to talk to us about possible collaboration contact Professor Jon Fairburn on +44 (0) or at jon.fairburn@staffs.ac.uk or rural@staffs.ac.uk.

6 Page 6 Rural Enterprise: two great places for food and drink... Denstone Hall Farm Shop Located north of Uttoxeter in the village of Denstone, Denstone Hall Farm Shop recently moved into bigger premises; it has a farm shop, an award winning café and a butchery, and lots and lots of great food (over 500 lines from Staffordshire and Derbyshire) Here is an interview our Level 4 film students did with the proprietor, Rupert Evans (this was filmed in the old café the new one is much bigger!) Rupert Evans in his new farm shop Denstone Hall Shop Aston Marina, Stone Just south of Stone is Aston Marina. It has a farm shop, butchers and café plus outside seating area in the summer. It hosts a regular gourmet pie night every Wednesday and recently won an award for Chef s Homemde Steak and Cut Throat Ale Pie. Forthcoming master classes enjoy a three course meal with demonstration in between courses. The price for the master classes are for food club members and for non-food club members (it s completely free to join the food club). February 27th: Crepes and Galette perfect for pancake lovers! March 27th: Seafood and Fish conquer your fears of preparing fresh seafood and fish April 24th: Indulgent Chocolate impress your guests with your knowledge on all things chocolate!

7 Page 7 Rural Enterprise: student profile Abby Littler As part of my degree I spent 12 months at HelmsBriscoe (an international meeting procurement company) as a Conference Co-ordinator and Venue Researcher, where I reported directly to the Associate Regional Vice President. During my time at HelmsBriscoe I was tasked with: managing global accounts, venue finding, rate and contractual negotiations, leasing with procurement and other senior clients, building lasting relationships with clients and suppliers alike, conducting local and international site inspections, financial account management and social media forecasting. The placement tested my skills and knowledge; however, I have grown and learnt so much from the experience. After my placement, I was asked by Jon Fairburn and Linda Phillips if I would like to be involved in a Rural Enterprise Project that they were at the very early stages of. The project s aim is to link Staffordshire University students with local businesses; we began by creating a database of businesses in the area that would be of interest to our students, including key information such as whether or not they market themselves on any social media sites. Following this we created a calendar of local events including farmers markets and food and drink festivals which Staffordshire University could potentially get involved in. Currently our focus is on funding for the project and hopefully in the near future we will have strong relationships with local rural enterprises and Staffordshire University will be playing an important role in their future success. BA(Hons) Fast track Business Management: HelmsBriscoe: Rural Enterprise: Staffordshire Rural Forum Professor Jon Fairburn is sitting on two themed action groups: Communities and Economy. Rural Enterprise: European websites European Network for Rural Development Rural Entrepreneurship Gateway The Peri-Urban Regions Platform Europe; Staffordshire County Council is a member

8 Page 8 Sustainability: British University Vietnam announces Ecopark concept On 8th January 2014 Staffordshire University s international partner, British University Vietnam (BUV) and Vihajico Corporation (Ecopark s developer) signed an amendment on the location of BUV s campus in Ecopark, near Hanoi, Vietnam. At this ceremony BUV has announced the concept design of its future state-of-the-art campus to be constructed on a 6.5 hectare area in 3 stages with a total investment valued at USD 60 million. The site is relocated in the second phase of Ecopark s major development (see picture on the front cover). The first stage of the project, valued at USD 12 million includes lecture theatres, learning rooms, library, computer laboratories, offices, an open collaborative-learning area for students and sport facilities on site. The Ecopark campus of BUV will become the first UK standard university in Vietnam with a capacity of 7000 students. The construction will be commencing in May 2014 and the university will welcome its first cohort of students at this campus by the third quarter of For more information visit Sustainability: student intern Olamide Okeowo My name is Olamide Okeowo, but my friends call me Kenny. I am a level 5 Accounting and Business student. Since last November I have been assisting the unversity s Environmental Manager on a couple of projects, which includes conducting research on how best the university can begin to report to HEFCE on its Scope 3 emissions generated, i.e. emissions that are a consequence of the university s actions, which occur at sources which are not owned or controlled the university. These sources include academic and support staff and students travelling for business purposes and commuting to and from their home address or term-time residence to the university. I have also been engaging in some research/awareness ideas for Fairtrade Fortnight 2014 (24 Feb - 9 Mar). Basically, I have been working as a campaign co-ordinator for this particular project. In a few weeks to come, I will also be examining the different mechanisms by which the university can manage/enforce dedicated car share spaces at Leek Road and College Road. Taking part in these projects has not only broadened my knowledge about the amount of emissions generated by the university, but it has also enabled me to realise the impact of such emissions on the environment and how various individuals can do their bit towards making sure that we have a more sustainable environment. So, when next you want to dispose off a coffee cup think about its impact on the environment and recycle instead, or why not consider one of the university eco-mugs available from all coffee outlets so that together we can all help the university to lower its carbon footprint. Overall, working on these projects has improved my research skills, environmental knowledge and presentation skills. I will advise fellow students to take advantage of any opportunity advertised by the office of sustainability, because for me it has been a great privilege to be a part of these experiences, as the skills I will have acquired on completion of the projects will help to further develop my CV and Staffordshire Graduate attributes. Details of existing sustainability schemes can be found at For more information on Fairtrade Fortnight visit

9 Page 9 Sustainability: Staffordshire University sustainability event (DRAFT) pm Tuesday 18th March, R001 and Atrium of the Science Centre, Leek Road 12:00 Introduction and welcome: Jon Fairburn, Professor of Sustainable Development 12:10 Screening of 3 minute short films on Sustainability and Corporate Social responsibility at Staffordshire University. Made by Level 4 Film Production students as part of their core module. Module tutors James Fair and Jon Fairburn. 1:10 Coffee and refreshments in the atrium plus viewing and judging of posters: Level 6 Law student posters Environmental Law: Sustainable Development and the Rural Environment. Module tutor Ruby Hammer. Level 5 Engineering student posters Redesign of common products to reduce environmental impact. Module tutor Neil Packer. 1:40 Level 6 Engineering students three short presentations on the carbon footprint and policy options for three buildings on campus. Module tutor Neil Packer 2:20 Awarding of prizes best film, best poster, best presentation 3:00 Finish Other activities may be added to the programme. Judging panel to be announced Organisers Jon Fairburn and Agnieszka Biernat if you are interested in attending please contact Jon at jon.fairburn@staffs.ac.uk or on +44 (0) , or Agnieszka at b031060b@student.staffs.ac.uk Sustainability news Less driving in the USA National Geographic has an intriguing article about how driving by teenagers in America has declined so much. Several plausible reasons are put forward to explain: the percentage of 19-year-olds with driver s licenses fell from 87 percent to 70 percent between 1983 and For 17-year-olds, the fall was even more dramatic, from 69 percent in 1983 to 46 percent by Schools in Staffordshire to get solar panels 25 schools will be fitted with solar PV (photo-voltaic) panels as Staffordshire County Council continues to deliver on its commitment to boost the use of renewable technology and make savings. New book on intergrated reporting Carol Adams (2013) Understanding Integrated Reporting: The Concise Guide to Integrated Thinking and the Future of Corporate Reporting, ISBN This new book provides an overview of integrated reporting (IR), a new development in corporate reporting that is said to represent a paradigm shift in the way companies and other organisations think about business models and the creation of value. UN Initiative PRiME There is a UN initiative called PRiME, Principles for Responsible Management Education, that seeks to help Business Schools become more sustainable in terms of teaching and learning. More details on the mission and six principles can be found at

10 Page 10 Seven great books to help you improve or make you think Jon Fairburn The canon of books on management and self-improvement is filled with those by frauds, fools and charlatans. Here are seven books written by people who actually know what they are talking about. Bounce: How champions are made by Matthew Syed (2010) Good for: convincing people of the myth of natural talent; why purposeful practice leads to great results; or the more effort you put in the better you will get. Although the book is mainly about sports examples, it touches on memory, mathematics and business world examples 59 seconds: Think a little, change a lot by Richard Wiseman (2009) Written by a professor at Hertfordshire University this book is a populist but thorough review of many aspects of psychology, including the debunking of some common myths. Chapters cover happiness, persuasion, motivation, decision making and parenting. How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie (1936) 16 million copies sold and still in print. The book emphasises the importance of taking a personal interest in someone and reflecting on your actions. The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management programme for confidence, success and happiness by Steve Peters (2012) Used by lots of Olympic athletes and sports people (Bradley Wiggins, Ronnie O Sullivan..) this is a guide for re-thinking how you think and providing suggestions for alternative ways to responding to situations. Be Excellent at anything by Tony Schwartz and Jean Gomes (2010) This book looks at both the individual level and the organisational set up. Good because it is based both on academic literature and the authors own experience of working with organisations. Importantly it includes failures as well as successes. Surely you re joking Mr Feynman by Richard Feynman and Ralph Leighton (1985) Feynman was one of the great physicists of the 20th century. This is a series of anecdotes on how he progressed through life and some of the problems and situations he encountered. What it illustrates is the thinking behind how to solve problems. His most famous example is how he taught himself to crack safes whilst working on the Manhattan project during WW2. I have used that chapter to illustrate different methodologies available to solve a problem in tutorials. What do you care what other people think? by Richard Feynman and Ralph Leighton (1988) The follow up book to Surely you re joking is divided into two parts. The first part is another series of anecdotes. The second part deals with his participation on the investigation into the space shuttle disaster, where he was the only independent voice on the panel. Very good for showing the lack of understanding between engineers and management. Contact Jon at jon.fairburn@staffs.ac.uk or on +44 (0)

11 Page 11 Opening doors for a Staffordshire Graduate Angela Lawrence Becky Lawrence came to Staffordshire University in 2007 to complete a Tourism Management (Top Up) BA(Hons) degree. Having completed an HND in Travel and Tourism at South Cheshire College she was keen to improve her final exit award before embarking on a career in the travel and tourism industry. Staffordshire University accepted me on a one-year top up award, which enabled me to exit my studies with an Honours degree. I felt that this was important as it would increase my career opportunities in the future. Working part-time for Thomas Cook whilst studying for her HND meant that Becky already had some experience within the industry. She had also spent a summer in Connecticut working for Camp America to broaden her work experience before enrolling at Staffordshire University. On my return from Camp America I was lucky to secure further part time work at a local independent travel agency for the duration of my studies at Staffordshire University; then shortly after my graduation I applied for cabin crew jobs at a number of airlines. By the Spring of 2009 I was working as cabin crew for Jet2 and went on from there to work within a customer service role at Manchester Airport. The antisocial hours of airport work didn t suit Becky particularly well, so she returned to Thomas Cook for a couple of years before settling down to have a family in Having experienced a number of roles within the travel and tourism industry over the years, Becky was keen to share her knowledge and experience with others, so whilst on maternity leave she enrolled onto a PTTLLS and then a CTTLLS course at a local college to study to become a teacher in the lifelong learning sector. I m now teaching Travel and Tourism myself at South Cheshire College and am thoroughly enjoying sharing my own experiences of the industry with students. Holding a degree in Tourism Management has undoubtedly opened doors for me within the industry. This in turn has enabled me to broaden my own work experience so that I can add real-life knowledge to the courses that I teach. Contact Angela at angela.lawrence@staffs.ac.uk or on +44 (0)

12 Enterprising Times Page 12 Tourism and Events Management students visit Manchester Christmas Markets Visit Manchester Marketing Manchester there is quite a lot of useful information on here about the marketing strategy, concepts, etc. Creative Tourist guide The Northern Quarter Two excellent peer review papers linked to this: Brown, A., O Connor, J. and Cohen, S. (2000) Local music policies with a global music industry: cultural quarters in Manchester and Sheffield, Geoforum 31, Ward, K. G. (2000) Front Rentiers to Rantiers: Active Entrepreneurs, Structural Speculators, and the Politics of Marketing the City. Urban Studies 37, For more information on BA (Hons) Tourism Management and BA (Hons) Events Management courses visit

13 Page 13 Staff Profile Sarah Misra I am a Senior Lecturer and Primary PGCE Award Leader in the School of Education, Faculty of Business, Education and Law. My specialism is in Primary Education but my background is originally in History of Art and Business Studies, and I gained degrees in both before studying Education in a museum setting at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. I worked in stage and costume design in the USA and as a Senior Buyer of Children s Books for WH Smith and John Menzies before training as a teacher in Having gained my PGCE (Primary) and been well and truly infected with the education bug I never looked back and worked for 14 years as a classroom teacher and within the Senior Management Team in a variety of schools in Staffordshire and Cheshire. I was lucky enough to teach all primary subjects and to gain experience across the entire primary age range in mixed and single age year groups, with specific responsibility for developing curriculum provision for Literacy and The Arts (art, music, dance and drama) and Inclusion and Special Educational Needs. In 2012 having gained a Masters from MMU I moved to Edge Hill University where I took up a post as Senior Lecturer and Head of Foundation Subjects, teaching on undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Early Years and Primary Education before moving to Staffordshire University to take up my present post. I have a strong passion for issues around social justice and inclusion and I am currently undertaking research around the impact of being a parent whilst studying for a PGCE and have presented research at several conferences. I am also currently co-writing a book around the delivery of the Foundation Subjects for Primary teachers. When I m not at work I love spending time with my family and friends and bringing up my two children. I am also studying for an EdD at Chester University. Contact Sarah at sarah.misra@staffs.ac.uk or on +44 (0) Staffordshire University is shortlisted in two categories in the Midlands Business Awards Staffordshire University has been announced as a finalist in the 2013 Midlands Business Awards in two categories Most Enterprising University and Most Innovative University. The annual Birmingham-based awards which is now in its eighth year, celebrates the achievements of businesses and organisations from across the Midlands region. The categories reward outstanding performance in demonstrating enterprise and promoting entrepreneurship, and outstanding performance in stimulating innovation. A team from Enterprise and Commercial Development and the Faculty of Business, Education and Law were invited to pitch to the judging panel to strengthen their application and demonstrate why Staffordshire University should win in each category. The glittering awards ceremony takes place at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel on Friday 28 February 2014 when all the winners will be announced.

14 Enterprising Times Page 14 Faculty planning event Dean - Prof Susan Foreman International Team Clockwise from above left: Professor Susan Foreman, Dean of the Faculty; Jim Pugh; Charnelle Merit explains Totally Locally; Dave Tapp; Angela Lawrence, Sue Clews and Carol Southall (left to right); Jamie Roper with the International Office administrators Charnelle Merritt - explains Totally Locally

15 Page 15 Staff profile Kate Dale I have recently joined the School of Education at Staffordshire University as a full-time Senior Lecturer in Education. After seven extremely busy years teaching at a local secondary school I joined the PGCE team on a part-time basis to develop and run the Mathematics PGCE whilst still teaching. This opportunity allowed me to see education from a different perspective which had a massive impact on my own teaching style. As a successful classroom teacher for nine years I have a variety of experiences. I have taught at Key Stages 3 and 4 and also been involved teaching at local feeder primary schools as well as implementing a successful G&T (gifted and talented) scheme which saw the most able Mathematicians taking AS level a year early. Since I started full time I have been involved in the new national initiative, Troops to Teachers. This collaborative, national programme has an emphasis on transformation created from the collective experiences of a consortium being led by the University of Brighton, with Staffordshire University taking a shared responsibility within the consortium in developing and delivering this new non-graduate programme. The programme targets outstanding service leavers to train as teachers over two years, after which they will receive a BA Honours degree in Education with Qualified Teacher Status. This course has been jointly developed by outstanding Initial Teaacher Training providers and the MOD s resettlement contractor, and looks to capture the ethos and talents of service leavers by bringing their experience into the classroom, which in turn can inspire and motivate young people to raise their educational attainment. Alongside running the Mathematics PGCE and Troops to Teachers programme I am also studying for a Master s in Education at Staffordshire University where I am keen to continue the drive to improve Mathematics education. Contact Kate at k.dale@staffs.ac.uk or on +44 (0) Flux Ceramics Mark Downie Flux ceramics caught the eye and attention of discerning shoppers at Fortnum and Mason in London and at Printemps in Paris in the run-up to Christmas. This brand combines the design talents of Staffordshire University students with the high quality fine bone china production for which Stokeon-Trent is renowned throughout the world. The Flux concept was developed within the MA in Ceramic Design and a university spin-out company was incorporated to operate the business. The relationship with Fortnum and Mason has continued to strengthen through a selling exhibition to showcase the range in the famous Piccadilly store from 10th January to 9th February. The products are available in prestigious stores in many countries as well as via Flux s own webshop at BEL Senior Lecturer in Law, Mark Downie, acts as Company Secretary to Flux and manages its contractual and intellectual property legal affairs. Contact Mark at m.downie@staffs.ac.uk or on +44 (0)

16 Enterprising Times Law competition winners Ian King, Head of the Law School, with the winners of the Law School negotiating competition finals which took place on Wednesday 4th December 2013 Page 16

17 Page 17 Publications and book reviews Lucy Crompton of the Law School is very interested in researching domestic violence. She has recently has two related articles published in the Family Law Journal about Domestic Violence Protection Notices and Orders, new domestic violence remedies that have recently completed a lengthy pilot scheme. The first article discusses the significant potential for breach of the suspect s human rights under the pilot scheme, It compares DVPOs with other remedies to demonstrate that the making of a DVPO should be subject to the criminal standard of proof (rather than the civil standard used during the pilot scheme), meaning that criminal prosecution may well be more appropriate. In addition, although the making of a DVPN/O is likely to be a proportionate response to domestic violence, it is difficult to see at what point the Article 8 rights of victim and suspect to respect for family life are actually balanced. The disproportionate adjournment and remand provisions in Crime & Security Act 2010 have huge potential for breach of the suspect s Article 8 rights. Most concerning is the provision allowing a suspect to be remanded in custody for up to three weeks (or on bail with conditions for up to four) for production of a medical report on a yet-to-be-proven breach of a civil order. Lucy concludes that, if these remedies are to be introduced nationwide, it is essential to ensure that they are capable of surviving human rights challenges by suspects. Reference: Crompton, L. (2013) DVP notices and orders: vulnerable to human rights challenge?, Family Law Journal The second article discussed whether real aim of the remedies is actually to save money rather than to protect victims. The new remedies are intended to fill an alleged gap in the protection available but the article argues that there was no real gap to fill, with better protection achievable through criminal prosecution, with the availability of bail conditions and restraining orders. If the criteria for making a DVPN are satisfied, it is likely that the criteria for arrest are also satisfied meaning that the police should arrest the suspect. The article queries whether the real motive behind the new remedies is actually to provide a cheaper alternative to criminal prosecution. The article also questions the extent to which these remedies can protect victims at all. They are reliant on the deterrent effect of incarceration which is very questionable in this context, especially when any term of imprisonment imposed for a breach is likely to be very short. The article goes on to consider the detrimental impact DVPOs especially can have on victim autonomy given that the police are required proceed with an application for a DVPO where a DVPN has been issued, whether the victim wishes it or not. Reference: Crompton, L. (2014) DVP notices and orders: protecting victims or the public purse?, Family Law Journal 62. Blogs and websites of interest Blog on higher education Bullet Journal - how to keep a paper journal a good sceptical article about the hype that surrounds TED talks a blog about productivity, life hacks, writing, user experience, customer happiness and business. An excellent site for those interested in social media technology in particular.

18 Page 18 Staffordshire University academics on Twitter Business Head of Business School heritage and cultural Senior Lecturer in the Business Professor Rune Todnem By is Professor of Organisational Behaviour, organisational change management and leadership; organisational ethics; HE management School of Steve Hall Senior Lecturer in Education areas of interest/research in metacognition, pedagogy, and education with Head of School of Education teachers and Senior Lecturer in Education education and Principal Lecturer in Education education and the student Senior Lecturer in Education pedagogy and initial teaching training Senior Lecturer in Geography creative labour, films, music, cultural geography Sport and Dr Jamie Barker, Sport and Exercise Matt Slater, Sport and Exercise Professor of Stress and Emotion Professor Michael Gunn, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive If there are anymore academics at Staffordshire University on Twitter let us know at Facebook groups Tourism Management and Events Management students all undergraduate Business Management courses Staffordshire University Open Days 2014 Open Day Wednesday 19 February Postgraduate Fair Wednesday 26 February Open Day Saturday March 22 Open Day Saturday 5 April Open Day Saturday 7 June Open Day Wednesday 25 June

19 Page 19 Second group of Lebanese scholars joins the Business School s DBA A second group of doctoral students from the Lebanon came together at the Business School in the autumn. Sixteen high-grade business and management attendees have embarked on the Business School s flag-ship award, the Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA). The DBA has attracted well qualified candidates from a wide range of public and private sector senior positions in finance, IT, consultancy, government, education and engineering, for example. This part-time professional doctorate, delivered by the Business School s top professors, is a four year programme that requires participants to undertake robust training in management and business related research and organization focused subjects for the first two years and culminates with each participant completing a substantial research thesis that focuses on a high-level management issue that concerns their own organization. This latest group of twelve women and four men sees participants with top credentials from, for example, Paris Dauphine University, MUBS Beirut and Harvard Business School; and currently holding positions in non-governmental international organizations (NGOs), universities and financial sectors, comments Associate Professor Dr David Douglas (DBA Programme Director). First launched in early 2011 the DBA is aimed at the so-called reflective professional someone who is career-minded and looking for a systematic high-level research programme that gives particular priority to developing management expertise based on sound theory and practice. With three cohorts now established, the programme to date has currently attracted 35 people not only from local and national organisations, but also from European and Middle-Eastern countries, with inquiries continuing to be received from many parts of the world. Inquiries to and further information from Dr. David Douglas, DBA Programme Director. Contact David at d.j.douglas@staffs.ac.uk or on +44 (0)

20 Page 20 Distribution of Enterprising Times The vast bulk of distribution is electronic. Within the University, distribution is made to all of the Faculty of Business, Education and Law School, the University Executive, Enterprise and Commercial Development, anyone cooperating on projects, RSS feeds and All staff Chat. Outside the University, Enterprising Times is sent to 15 international partner institutions throughout the Middle East and Asia (combined, at least 4000 business studies type students), partners on EU funding projects and contacts in Europe, contacts in the region (including media, members of Parliament, members of European Parliament, local councillors, chief executives, council officers, chambers of commerce, private companies, public sector organisations, professional networks, European organisations, etc.), and up to 10 groups on Linked in depending on the issue (regional, thematic, international). We are currently number 1 on Google when searched on the term enterprising times (out of 7.5million). We are also appearing on the front page of Google for a number of other terms. If you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe to the version of this newsletter please jon.fairburn@staffs.ac.uk. Notes for contributors Topics we cover a very broad range of issues reflecting the wide variety of interests in the Faculty of Business, Education and Law School. These include all aspects of business, innovation, enterprise, economics, European policy, global issues, markets, education, law and student experiences. Write about what you know and like best. Generally articles can be between 150 to 350 words. Try and include at least a profile photo of yourself or, better still, a good photo linked to the article. Photos should be provided as separate files in a high resolution format. Include the contact details that you are happy to have published and/or a website/blog. Shorter notices, e.g. funding opportunities, upcoming events, jobs, scholarships, etc. can also be publicised. Just remember to check our publishing deadline. All submissions can be sent to et@staffs.ac.uk. Re-use of material You are free to post the complete PDF version on your own website or to host it in any internal system. You may re-use any article subject to the following conditions: 1. If there is a name against the article then we expect acknowledgement in the format: Name, Staffordshire University Business School. 2. If there is no name with the article then just use Staffordshire University Business School. 3. If the writer is obviously someone outside of Staffordshire University, e.g. an MP or MEP, then contact them direct. 4. Note that we would not expect any selective editing of the article that would change the tone or meaning of the original article. 5. If you need the original photos then contact us. 6. We would appreciate where possible a link to either the specific issue or the general link to Enterprising Times which is Deadlines for th March 30th May 31st July 3rd October 28th November