Student launches new website for Midlands music scene

• Media enterprise course leads to online music magazine for locals
• New website to showcase musical talent in the West Midlands
• University student’s studies help promote local music scene

5114/KB  2nd September 2008

Landscape Architecture academic is awarded professorship stateside

Kathryn Moore, Professor of Landscape Architecture at Birmingham City University and former Landscape Institute President, has been asked to take up the prestigious position of Thomas Jefferson Foundation Visiting Professorship at the University of Virginia, USA this autumn.

RP/5113 1 st September 2008

On the spot offers: still a healthy option for Clearing

It’s not too late for potential Clearing students hoping to study for a career in health care at Birmingham City University, as they will have the chance of being offered a place on the spot by the University’s academic tutors.

5012/KB 18th August 2008

University’s new TV advert showcases quality and talent

• Advert made using University’s avant-garde camera equipment
  
  
• Birmingham City University’s acting graduate stars in new commercial
  
  
• University’s heritage brought to the fore

A new TV advert by Birmingham City University will showcase the educational institute’s cutting edge technology and the talent it produces by featuring one of its top recent graduates from the Birmingham School of Acting, part of the University.

5111/KB 11 th August 2008

Clearing 2008 just around the corner

For many students getting the job they want is the main reason they choose to take a university course - so a Birmingham University is asking students to seriously think about their choice of university before the A Level results are published next week.

5110/SA 11 th August 2008

Young Leaders or Green Saviours

• Birmingham City University hosts Big Debate
• Event set to empower business decision makers
• More than 300 local business leaders to attend

Are the next generation of business leaders capable of effecting real change to the green agenda?  Birmingham City University certainly thinks so and has created a new event - The Big Debate to empower the next generation of business leaders to translate their passion and views on sustainability into action at work.

5108 / TS 5th August 2008

Dare to be Digital

• Birmingham City University supports students to create computer games
• Teams are using state-of-the-art facilities at Birmingham’s Screen Media Lab
• Project forms part of an internationally renowned competition

Birmingham City University is supporting talented computer science and art students to design and create the next generation of computer games. 

5107 / AT 5th August 2008

Watch our students scoop prizes

• Birmingham City University students win watch design competition
• Designs to be made into ‘real watches’
• Competition launched by international watch-making company

Students from the School of Jewellery at Birmingham City University are celebrating after scooping a number of prizes in a prestigious watch-design competition.

5108 / SA 5th August 2008

Birmingham City University realises film making dreams

• University helps local students to make a film
• Project forms part of Government initiative
• Film to be screened at Birmingham Odeon cinema in September

Birmingham City University is offering 46 movie-mad youngsters with a unique opportunity to test out their film-making skills as they direct their way to their first red carpet.

5106 / AT 5th August 2008

Top ten success for University in national teacher training guide

A national training guide has named Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Education a top ten provider of teacher training. The University scored seventh place success for secondary school and ninth for primary school training in the Good Teacher Training Guide 2008.

5105/KB 1st August 2008

Birmingham City University bucks national teacher training trends

Recent newspaper headlines have been concerned about drop-out rates on teacher training courses and about the number of teacher training graduates who do not actually progress into teaching as a career. (see this article from the Independent)

5104/SA 23rd July 2008

Birmingham architect elected first ever female president of RIBA

Local architect and academic, Ruth Reed, has been elected the next President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

The achievement is particularly notable as not only is she the first ever female president of the Institute but also the first in living memory to be elected from the West Midlands region. She will become President Elect on 1 September 2008 and will succeed the current President, Sunand Prasad, on 1 September 2009.

5103/SA 23rd July 2008

Local school pupils help university in robotic challenge

Pupils at a Great Barr primary school have been helping lecturers at Birmingham City University develop a new robotic computer game to help children with literacy and numeracy skills.

5102/SA 23 rd July 2008

BSA Graduate commended in spotlight showcase

Birmingham School of Acting (BSA) graduate, Iris Roberts, has been highly commended in this year’s Spotlight showcase, a drama competition for acting graduates.

5101/DV 21 st July 2008

Birmingham City University hosts skills competition

This week nine competitors from across the country will take a 14-hour practical test at Birmingham City University’s School of Jewellery to become the UK’s Jewellery Skill champion.

5100/SA 21 st July 2008

Third automotive, powertrain symposium announced by Birmingham City University

The third Advanced Powertrain Control Symposium is to be held at the Technology Innovation Centre (TIC), Millennium Point, by Birmingham City University’s Technology, Innovation and Development faculty, on 27th November this year.

402SE0608TP 15th July 2008

Potential first lady president at 100 year architecture celebration ball

A ball to celebrate 100 years of Architecture at Birmingham School of Architecture, part of Birmingham City University, will be attended by the next potential president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

5097/KB 17th July 2008

Health care graduates to scoop awards

Excellence in health care education will be celebrated at Birmingham City University on Friday July 18 th when current and former students gather for the University’s annual Health Care Awards.

5089/SA July 15th 2008

Planning Application Submitted for Birmingham’s Eastside

• Outline planning application submitted to Birmingham City Council
  
  
• Major development of Birmingham’s Eastside
  
  
• Formal planning decision expected by end of December

Birmingham City University submitted an outline planning application on 27th June for its 55,000 m2 flagship development in Birmingham’s Eastside. The formal planning decision is not expected until end of December 2008.

10th July 2008

University celebrates double Ofsted success

Teacher training at Birmingham City University goes from strength to strength. After achieving grade 1 ‘Outstanding’ scores for its secondary teacher training courses just three weeks ago the University has now been recognised by Ofsted for the quality of its primary teacher training. Ofsted has awarded the University grade 1 ‘Outstanding’ scores for the quality of training and the management and quality assurance of the training it provides for new primary school teachers. This latest endorsement confirms the University’s status as a Category A provider of both secondary and primary teacher training – very few providers in the country manage to achieve this standard. Category A is the highest grade awarded by the Training and Development Agency (TDA) for the quality of teacher training.

5095/AS 9 th July 2008

Logistics Academy for the West Midlands concept launch at Birmingham City University's Technology Innovation Centre

Birmingham City University was selected as the launch pad for a skills delivery infrastructure proposal, on behalf of Skills for Logistics (SfL) – an employer-led, national, Sector Skills Council. Some 30 professionals from the supply chain, logistics and transport management fields, assembled in the University’s Technology Innovation Centre (TIC) to hear SfL’s proposal for a ‘one-stop-shop’ academy to meet the skills needs among the region’s logistics employers.

8th July 2008

University lecturer set to star in reality crime show

• Birmingham City University professor takes part in Channel 5 reality show
  
  
• Show set to tackle juvenile crime
  
  
• Professor will join panel of experts including David Blunkett

Former Prison Governor and Birmingham City University professor David Wilson is set to tackle juvenile crime in a new television series for Channel Five.

5093/SA 4th July 2008

Universities engage with employers to deliver web-enabled workplace degrees in support of government targets

In line with government targets for degrees developed with employers, Birmingham City University and Staffordshire University are partnering with businesses to offer innovative, web-enabled undergraduate and post graduate degrees directly in the work place.

Based on individual learning ‘on the job’, employers across the country can offer a complete career development package, enabling staff to get a degree building on their day-to-day business and longer-term ambitions.

4th July 2008

Mike’s design skills drive his Black Country career

Walsall’s Mike Beese is home grown talent, nurtured through a Midlands university-education, and now making a valuable contribution to the local economy.

Joining Kingswinford-based Westfield Sportscars, whilst still a student at Birmingham City University’s Technology Innovation Centre (TIC), Mike Beese became part of a three-man team working on an exciting project to design a chassis for a new race-car. He was employed to apply skills, gained on TIC’s computer-aided design, BSc course, to a vehicle chassis which is the basis of the UK’s first ever electric race-car series. The resulting design, complete with 75 kw power motor, made its debut at 2008’s Autosport International Show at Birmingham’s NEC.

4th July 2008

Hooting about mooting: University law students in finals of national competition

• Local University to take on top student law rivals in London
  
  
• Birmingham City University most successful university for mooting

Two law students at Birmingham City University are today preparing to take on rivals from three other universities in a legal battle of words known as ‘mooting.’ 

5091/KB 30th June 2008

Prestigious national teaching award for Birmingham City University academic

• University academic wins National Teaching Fellowship
  
  
• Only 50 awards given across England and Northern Ireland
  
  
• Academic helped pioneer an innovative approach to Virtual Patient Scenarios and Team Teaching

An academic at Birmingham City University has been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy to recognise his teaching skills and to celebrate his outstanding impact on students’ learning experience.

5090/KB 26 th June 2008

Irish mental health in Birmingham: implications for health service provision and practice event

The event will present two reports that are the result of a project launched in January 2007 looking into Irish people’s views and experiences of mental health services in Birmingham.

26th June 2008

Serial killers in the spotlight at Birmingham City University Open Day

• UK’s leading expert on serial killers to give a taster session
  
  
• Interactive activities, exhibitions and presentations each day
  
  
• Guided tours of campus sites - including £30 million Faculty of Health facilities

One of the UK’s leading criminologists will be heading a discussion about British serial killers when Birmingham City University throws open its doors to visitors this week for its Open Days.  The Open Days will take place on the main City North Campus in Perry Barr on Friday 20th and Saturday 21st from 10.00am until 4.00pm. 

5087/KB 19th June 2008

Travel costs covered for open day visitors

Potential university students from Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham and Leicester are being encouraged to attend Open Days at Birmingham City University later this week. Those who take up the offer of coming to find out more about the University will be able to reclaim the cost of their travel for the day.

5086/KB 17 th June 2008

Birmingham City University receives Ofsted success

The Training and Development Agency (TDA) has graded Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Education a Category ‘A’ provider of secondary teacher training following its successful Ofsted inspection earlier this year.

5088/SA 17 th June 2008

Local student wins mentor of the year

Local student Victoria Booth has been named Birmingham City University’s Mentor of the Year thanks to her success with helping pupils fulfil their potential.

The 20 year old, who is a second year student on the University’s Music course, has been working with Year 9 pupils at Langley School in Olton to encourage them to raise their aspirations and think about higher education. 

5081 / KB 6th June 2008

University announces two more Executive Deans

• Latest senior appointments confirmed
  
  
• Prof Dan Howard to lead Performance, Arts and Media
  
  
• Prof Christopher Prince heads Business School

Birmingham City University has announced two more appointments to the position of Executive Dean.

5085 / JA 6th June 2008

Birmingham students treat virtual patients

• Birmingham City students among first in country to use virtual system programme for Radiotherapy training
  
  
• System has transformed Radiotherapy teaching
  
  
• Virtual system has cost in excess of £200k

Students at Birmingham City University are amongst the first in the country to use a virtual reality system to learn how to treat patients with cancer.

5083/SA 5th June 2008

Announcement of new Executive Dean

• Chris O’Neil to lead Birmingham Institute of Art and Design
  
• Appointment commences August 1
  
• Wide experience in Art and Design

Birmingham City University has announced the appointment of Chris O'Neil to the post of Executive Dean for Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD). 

5080/JA 4th June 2008

Birmingham City University welcomes new Chancellor

Birmingham City University is delighted to announce that the new Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Chauhdry Rashid, is to be installed as its seventeenth Chancellor at a special ceremony to be held on Monday, 9th June at the Banqueting Suite at the Council House in Birmingham City Centre.

SA/5067 3rd June 2008

Birmingham Conservatoire hosts Integra 2008 festival

This month sees Birmingham at the forefront of innovation and creativity in the arts with two major events – the New Generation Arts Festival 2008 and the Integra 2008 International Festival and Conference “Fusing Music and Technology”, from June 5.

5078/DV 2nd June 2008

University unveils City Centre campus plan

• £150m development proposals go on display to public
  
• Vice-Chancellor hails ambitious plans
  
• Dedicated website launched

Birmingham City University is displaying its plans for a City Centre Campus development in public for the first time.
The exhibition opened at Millennium Point this afternoon (Friday May 30) and continues on Saturday May 31 from 9.30am-12.30pm.

JA/5074 Monday May 27th 2008

Hats off to art and design prize winner

The best of Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD) were celebrating last week following the announcement of the Ryland and Jackson art and design awards.

RP/5073 21st May 2008

University to showcase £150m eastside plans

• Proposals for City Centre Campus to go on display
• Major development of Birmingham’s Eastside
• Chance for public to have their say

Birmingham City University’s ambitious plans for a flagship £150m campus are to go on display to the public.

The University is offering people the chance to look at the outline planning proposals for the Canal Street site, Eastside, which will be submitted to Birmingham City Council in June.

JA/5074 Monday May 27th 2008

Architecture celebrates its centenary

It’s 100 years since the Birmingham School of Architecture was founded. Now the School, which is part of Birmingham City University, is planning a series of celebratory events including a showpiece Centenary Ball in August.

23rd May 2008

Making Sense of Historic Political Landscape

Digitisation experts at Birmingham City University have recently been helping an ambitious project to digitise national political boundaries. Historical maps covering the entire British Isles have been scanned in order to make them available on the web for the first time.

21 May 2008

Birmingham City University climbs the league table

The Guardian University Guide 2009 has placed Birmingham City University six places higher than last year – highlighting excellent performance in certain key areas. The tables are based on a combination of aspects such as National Student Survey findings, expenditure per student, student:staff ratios and entry tariffs.

19th May 2008

Birmingham Conservatoire leads the way in Messiaen centenary celebrations

Eminent scholars Claude Samuel and Hugh Macdonald and renowned organist Dame Gillian Weir are among those who will visit Birmingham in June to take part in the primary international scholarly event celebrating the centenary of the birth of the French composer Olivier Messiaen.

5068/JK 19 May 2008

Gok Wan predicts Birmingham City University students will 'rock the fashion industry' following filming for his new show

Style guru Gok Wan, star of Channel 4’s How To Look Good Naked, has praised the talent and creativity of students from the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD), part of Birmingham City University, following his visit to interview fashion students for his new show, Gok’s Clothes Roadshow.

BKL/5065 14 May 2008

Student winners scoop debating prize

Four Birmingham City University students are celebrating after becoming runners up in a national debating competition.

SA/5057 14 th May 2008

Birmingham City University joins leading Higher Education Carbon Management scheme

Birmingham City University is set to cut its carbon footprint and reduce its energy bills by joining the Carbon Trust’s Higher Education Carbon Management (HECM) programme.

SA/5066 14 th May 2008

£7m sports centre for students, staff and the local community is to be built next to the City North Campus

Birmingham City University has received planning consent for its proposed centre from the city council. The project will be sited on the former Ansells Sports Club site off Wellhead Lane, Perry Barr.

8th May 2008

Celebrating the best in contemporary design

Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD) is gearing up to celebrate the best in contemporary design with this year’s degree show exhibitions.

SA/5063 8th May 2008

Local student wins career nurturing opportunity

A Birmingham City University student is celebrating after being crowned regional champion in a national student art competition.

SA/5064 8th May 2008

Graduate helps with radio station’s new look

A former Birmingham City University student has been helping a local radio station with a new look to help promote its Breakfast Show.

SA/5061 1 st May 2008