Between 5-14 March, WMG will be supporting British Science Week 2021 - a ten-day celebration of science, technology, maths and engineering. The theme for this year’s event is ‘Innovating the Future.’

WMG has a programme of activities that will showcase the work of its scientists and engineers. You can see more here: WMG - The University of Warwick

MozFest

On 8th March, Professor Margaret Low, WMG’s Director of Outreach and Widening Participation, will be taking part, virtually, in MozFest. The Mozilla Festival, affectionately known as MozFest, is hosted by the Mozilla Foundation, with themed ‘spaces’ akin to mini-festivals.

Professor Low will join other experts to present “Exploring Coding, Stitching Culture,” through a series of tutorials and workshops in the Global Culture and Heritage Space. Participants will have the opportunity to create designs with Turtlestitch coding. The designs will them be exhibited in the Mozfest gallery.

Turtlestitch is freely available software that enables the generation and stitching of patterns using a digital embroidery machine. WMG has a series of free tutorials and lesson plans for Turtlestitch available online.

You can register for MozFest here: Mozilla Festival - Tickets

WMG Talks Science

On Friday 12th March, WMG’s Outreach Project Officer, Dr Phil Jemmett will be hosting a live ‘WMG Talks’ event aimed at Year 9 and 10 pupils.

The youngsters will have the chance to hear from four WMG scientists – Amar Gohil, Ben Hunt, Katerina Gonos and Kevin Couling, who will share their expertise on driverless vehicles, transport electrification, battery chemistry and 3D printing, respectively.

Dr Phil Jemmett explains: “British Science Week takes cutting-edge, awe-inspiring work, usually hidden in university buildings, and shares it with the people who will end up using that technology.

“Futuristic concepts belong in the classroom because those students will be the people who end up designing, making, and improving the technology we are talking about today. Our Outreach activity links the school curriculum to our leading research.

“Amar is teaching cars to drive themselves to make transport accessible and safe; Katerina and Ben are making it possible to generate and store energy in a 'green' way, and Kevin is 3D printing body parts for surgeons to train on. These topics will have huge impacts on all of us and they need future STEM experts to turn these concepts into real products. The next leader in STEM is probably in school somewhere right now - could it be you?”

To find out more or to register a place for your child visit: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/about/outreach/opportunities/wmgtalks

Students across the West Midlands have been awarded a series of bursaries as part of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme.

The Winners have been announced on the second anniversary of the death of Lord Bhattacharyya, and the programme is named in his honour. He was Britain's first ever Professor of Manufacturing he founded WMG at the University of Warwick in 1980 - today WMG is one of the world’s top applied research centres, with a reputation for academic excellence and business results spanning the globe. He died on March 1st 2019.

The programme recognises the outstanding achievements and continues the legacy of the late Professor Lord Bhattacharyya KT CBE FREng FRS, in tribute to his work championing manufacturing and industrially engaged education. The West Midlands has a long history of engineering and manufacturing, with strong roots in bicycles, cars, textiles and watches, and this project builds on that heritage, supporting the untapped engineering potential within local students to build a skills base for engineering companies in the area.

Four higher education bursaries have been awarded to students studying engineering at university this year, along with 18 post-16 technical education bursaries to support students studying at Level 3. This ambitious programme will also deliver science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education support for students and teachers and has allocated over £44,000 of funding to 20 secondary schools and a number of further education colleges in the region this academic year. It has been made possible by government funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Higher education bursaries for the 2020-2021 academic year have been awarded to:

• Abdulhakim Fundikira, studying Civil Engineering at Coventry University
• Farid Moulaye, studying Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Coventry University
• Jessica Oliver, studying Civil Engineering at Coventry University
• Saman Salih, studying Engineering (inc. integrated Foundation Year) at Coventry University

Read more about all of the recipients here: Meet the recipients - Royal Academy of Engineering (raeng.org.uk)

Post-16 technical education bursaries for this academic year have been awarded to students studying at:

• WMG Academy for Young Engineers, Coventry
• WMG Academy for Young Engineers, Solihull
• Warwickshire College, Rugby

Read more about the Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme here: https://www.raeng.org.uk/education/schools/education-programmes/the-lord-bhattacharyya-engineering-education-

The programme recognises the outstanding achievements and continues the legacy of the late Professor Lord Bhattacharyya KT CBE FREng FRS, in tribute to his work championing manufacturing and industrially engaged education. The West Midlands has a long history of engineering and manufacturing, with strong roots in bicycles, cars, textiles and watches, and this project builds on that heritage, supporting the untapped engineering potential within local students to build a skills base for engineering companies in the area.

The Academy is leading this programme in partnership with WMG at the University of Warwick. The programme draws together secondary schools, further education colleges, universities, local employers and other key stakeholders to inspire and encourage more young people to study STEM subjects in post-16 education and beyond. The programme will enrich the curriculum, stimulate interest and improve student attainment outcomes by bringing real-world engineering practice into the student experience. The aim of the project is to encourage a diverse range of young people to progress towards the engineering roles of the future in local industry.

Applications for higher education bursaries for academic year 2021/2022 will open in Spring 2021 to students planning to study engineering at degree-level. For more information please see: https://www.raeng.org.uk/grants-prizes/grants/schemes-for-students/lord-bhattacharyya-bursary-scheme

The Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme has established networks of secondary school STEM teachers and engineering lecturers in further education capable of supporting each other and sharing good practice. Funding supports involvement in national and regional engineering programmes as well as the purchase of kit and equipment to enhance and enrich the delivery of the STEM curriculum in schools and colleges. It will provide up to 6,000 STEM learning opportunities for young people each year. Students will also be able to apply for up to 90 bursaries each year to support progression on to full-time engineering technical education or degree courses.

The programme is based on a template of successful Academy engineering education projects in the Welsh Valleys, Barrow-in-Furness, Stoke-on-Trent and Lowestoft, Suffolk, which have together delivered more than 120,000 STEM learning opportunities for young people since their launch. The Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme builds on this model and includes fully funded industrial placements for college lecturers and STEM teachers at local engineering companies.

An aligned longitudinal research study led by WMG at the University of Warwick will assess the impact of the good practices pioneered or identified through the programme.

Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said:

“We want more young people from all backgrounds to have the opportunity to make a difference through a career in engineering. This programme is supporting young people in the West Midlands to discover how they could make an impact by studying engineering as well as removing some of the barriers that might prevent them going into technical education. I am sure Professor Lord Bhattacharyya would approve of the positive contribution of this initiative in a region that is synonymous with his passion and commitment to engineering innovation.”

Science Minister Amanda Solloway said:

"As we build back better, I am determined that we invest in our young people and eliminate the barriers that exist for those looking to pursue a career in STEM – ensuring that our best and brightest can excel no matter what their background.

“Through this bursary programme, inspired by the legacy of Lord Bhattacharyya, I am delighted we are able to provide a launchpad for the UK’s next generation of highly skilled engineers right in the heart of the West Midlands, building on the region’s proud tradition of engineering and manufacturing.”

Professor Robin Clark, Dean of WMG, University of Warwick, commented:

“We are delighted to be working with the Royal Academy of Engineering to deliver the Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme. We are looking forward to helping enable the opportunities this will provide for the students involved, as well as the advantages it will bring for their schools and colleges. This is a great opportunity for us to deliver on the Government’s ambitions for developing the next generation of engineers to fill the skills gaps in engineering.”

Rebecca Archer, Student Destinations Manager at WMG Academy Solihull, said:

“The Lord Bhattacharyya HE Bursary Scheme has been pivotal in breaking down the barriers to Higher Education for some of our students who may not have otherwise continued on their journey to university. One of our successful candidates was overwhelmed in being chosen for this award; it has made a crucial difference between having to be selective to being fully prepared for their studies from a financial perspective. WMG Academy recognises the lifeline the Lord Bhattacharyya HE Bursary Scheme can offer our students. It has ensured that those who are motivated to pursue engineering at university have the chance to take their first steps into this industry.”

Marie Fletcher of Colmers School and Sixth Form College said:

"We have set up our first Engineering qualification using the grant money to purchase equipment to inspire pupils in an area where uptake to careers in the engineering sector is low."

Congratulations to Nancy Olson (pictured below left) and Celine Martin (below right) who have been announced as new fellows of the Warwick International Higher Education Academy (WIHEA).

The Academy is the UK’s first institutional academy of educators for staff and students engaged in the advancement of learning and teaching excellence. Becoming a Fellow provides the opportunity for Nancy and Celine to engage with colleagues across the University, to make a genuine difference to Warwick as well as to strengthen their career development.

It works to give a collective voice to learning and teaching at Warwick through projects, policy influence, governance and exchange of good practice.

By becoming a Fellow, staff and students can take part in exchanges, projects, learning circles, proposing teaching and learning policy or develop new academic practice that enhance the student experience and student outcomes.

There are currently 93 Fellows and the annual selection process recruits on average 25 Fellows each year.

• Degree Apprenticeships (DA) at WMG include courses partnerships with employers and come with a competitive salary
• WMG's undergraduate DA courses include Digital and Technology Solutions, Applied Professional Engineering, and Digital Healthcare Science
• Postgraduate courses include Sustainable Automotive Electrification and Smart, Connected and Autonomous Vehicles
• National Apprenticeship Week 2021 runs until Sunday 14th February
• Applications for Jaguar Land Rover Degree Apprenticeships in Partnership with WMG close on Monday 15th February

WMG at the University of Warwick is set to continue its working partnership with employers to train the next wave of engineers and digital technologists - with new cohorts of degree apprentices set to start this September.

WMG’s undergraduate degree apprenticeship courses, including Digital and Technology Solutions, Applied Professional Engineering Programme, and Digital Healthcare Science, and postgraduate Sustainable Automotive Electrification and Smart, Connected and Autonomous Vehicles courses, bring together the best of higher education and work-based learning and come with the additional benefits of earning a competitive salary while learning and no university tuition.

Over the duration of their courses the apprentices will be taught on the University of Warwick campus for a number of weeks each year to complement their practical work based experiences – including in WMG’s new Degree Apprenticeship Centre.

For those interested in developing a new career and starting as a degree apprentice this September, there is still time to apply for courses at WMG in partnership with Jaguar Land Rover.

WMG and Jaguar Land Rover’s partnership provides degree apprentices the opportunity to develop the technical skills and knowledge necessary to building Jaguar Land Rover’s engineering capability for an autonomous, connected and electric future, with applications for courses open until February 15th.

§ For details on the full range of available Jaguar Land Rover degree apprenticeships and how to apply please click here.

Further to degree apprentice opportunities in the automotive and engineering sectors, WMG now offers the opportunity to train in Digital Healthcare Science. The course provides a breadth of scientific training including high-level consultation skills, a holistic, evidence-based and values-based approach to shared decision making, psychology, behavioural science and clinical physiology.

Developed with extensive consultation with leading healthcare science academics, senior NHS staff and policy makers, the Digital Healthcare Science course also provides valuable study and professional skills including data handling, statistics, research ethics and methods, literature review skills and critical appraisal, standards of conduct performance and ethics.

§ For details on the Digital Healthcare Science degree apprenticeships please click here.

Sue Parr, Director of Apprenticeships at WMG, University of Warwick comments:

“National Apprenticeship Week is the ideal time to both reflect on the success of those who are currently gaining skills and experience, but also to encourage those looking to follow in their footsteps.

“At WMG we are delighted to host and teach so many aspiring degree apprentices in key sectors and support them in applying the knowledge they gain here with the experience and skills they are developing at work to have real and immediate impact for their organisations and their career.”

Beverley Ngo, a current Software with Data apprentice, said of her decision to apply for a degree apprenticeship with Jaguar Land Rover and WMG:

“I wanted to be able to apply what I was learning to the real world, so the apprenticeship was the perfect opportunity for that. The funded degree and salary was obviously a bonus too! The degree itself appealed to me as I have always enjoyed maths and problem solving, so DTS felt like the right fit for me.”

Jack Young, a current Software Engineer apprentice, said of his studies:

“I have really enjoyed being able to apply what I have learnt at WMG to my work and vice-versa. It has been beneficial to be able to implement knowledge from both sides of the course and get a deeper understanding of what we are learning and why we are learning it.”

The University of Warwick is one of eight trailblazing universities to have become the first in the UK to gain recognition for their commitment to cyber security education in a new initiative from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – a part of GCHQ.

Pioneering institutions in the UK have been recognised as the country’s first Academic Centres of Excellence in Cyber Security Education (ACEs-CSE) for delivering first-rate cyber security education on campus and promoting cyber skills in their community.

The ACE-CSE programme, led by the NCSC – a part of GCHQ – and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, has recognised eight universities with gold and silver awards – with the next round of applications opening early next year.

Professor Tim Watson from WMG, University of Warwick comments:

"We are delighted to be recognised by the National Cyber Security Centre as an academic centre of excellence and to have been awarded a Gold Award for our cyber security education."

Chris Ensor, NCSC Deputy Director for Cyber Growth, said:

“I am delighted we can now recognise the first tranche of universities as Academic Centres of Excellence in Cyber Security Education, complementing our existing programmes which recognise high quality cyber security research and degree courses.”

“It is a testament to the continual efforts of academics, support staff and senior management that cyber security remains high on their agenda.

“We very much look forward to working with them over the coming years and strongly encourage other universities to work towards achieving similar recognition in the future.”

Seven universities received Gold awards in this first round of applications for demonstrating impressive approaches to promoting cyber security excellence. They are:

· Abertay University

· Lancaster University

· University of Southampton

· University of South Wales

· University of Surrey

· University of Warwick

· University of the West of England

Each of the successful Gold centres demonstrated they offer at least one NCSC-certified degree, deliver top cyber security training to staff and students from other specialisms within the university, work to improve the institution’s cyber resilience and carry out local outreach activities.

Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman said:

“The UK has some of the brightest minds in the world working in tech and it's right we celebrate universities where so many people develop relevant and cutting-edge skills.

"We continue to work closely with academia to nurture the next generation of cyber security talent and I urge interested education institutions to apply for this recognition.”

Offering a NCSC-certified degree is necessary for receiving ACE-CSE recognition, as it demonstrates that an institution is already providing a high standard of education to students enrolled in cyber security disciplines.

However, successful ACE-CSE institutions go beyond this, offering cyber security education opportunities across the whole campus and to those in their wider community.

In the first tranche of award winners this included giving cyber security classes to those studying subjects such as Politics, Law, and Psychology and setting up work experience placements for local schoolchildren.

The next round of applications for ACE-CSE recognition will open in early 2021 to higher education institutions in the UK. More information about the initiative can be found on the NCSC website.

ENDS

15 DECEMBER 2020

NOTES TO EDITORS

The ACE-CSE programme plays an importance part in the NCSC’s ambition to create a regional cyber security eco-system which nurtures cyber security talent in local communities. In September, the NCSC announced 13 secondary schools in Gloucestershire and Wales had achieved CyberFirst Schools status for their excellence in cyber security education.

On the NCSC

§ The UK government is fully committed to defending against cyber threats and set up the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) as part of GCHQ.

§ The NCSC was created as part of the five-year National Cyber Security Strategy in 2016, supported through £1.9 billion transformative investment

§ The NCSC is the UK’s lead technical authority on cyber security and offers unrivalled real-time threat analysis, defence against national cyber attacks and tailored advice to victims when incidents do happen

§ If you have any additional questions, please contact pressoffice@ncsc.gov.uk.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Alice Scott
Media Relations Manager – Science
University of Warwick
Tel: +44 (0) 7920 531 221
E-mail: alice.j.scott@warwick.ac.uk

Congratulations to Manoj Vadher, Head of Engineering Reliability and Knowledge at Royal Mail, who’s been named as the winner in the Degree Apprentice of the Year category, at the West Midlands regional National Apprenticeship Awards 2020.

Manoj, is currently in his final year of his Master’s Level 7 Degree Apprenticeship as part of the WMG Senior Leader Degree Apprenticeship programme.

Manoj explains: “I am also the functional lead in engineering for the Royal Mail development programme. I have been working with the communities, colleges and the universities to develop apprenticeship programmes. As a result, Engineering at Royal Mail now has the benchmark development programme all through the apprenticeship schemes.

“I have also applied the learning from my apprenticeship to deliver solutions that had the major positive impact on the ways of working bringing significant financial savings. I delivered engineering maintenance strategies, robotic process automation and machine learning initiatives.”

He adds: “Balancing work and study can be challenging, especially if you are in a demanding role. The programme is delivered using the block delivery model, making it easier to balance your time. The key benefit of studying through apprenticeships is that it allows you to integrate study with your day-to-day role. For me, both areas grew in parallel. You quickly start to understand and manage the priorities in your personal and professional life. My personal productivity improved. I don’t think I will ever go back and waste valuable time on the some of the activities at both work and home.”

WMG Senior Leader Course Leader, Trudy Spencer, explains: “The teaching team at WMG thoroughly enjoy working with the Royal Mail delegates to deliver the Senior Leader Degree Apprenticeship Programme. It is particularly satisfying to see the programme learning being applied in the workplace and having a positive impact on both the Royal Mail business and the delegates’ personal development.

“Manoj has been an advocate for our programme from the launch and has taken every opportunity to apply and share his learning back at work. We are delighted to see his achievements being recognised through this award.”

James Baker, Chief Engineer and Fleet Director at Royal Mail group said: “I am delighted Manoj’s hard work and dedication has been recognised at the West Midlands regional National Apprenticeship Awards. He has used his learning to develop himself and to grow the capabilities of the wider business team. A great personal achievement and demonstrates the positive impact continual development can have.”

Manoj adds: “If anyone is thinking about doing an apprenticeship, I would say it is the best choice you can make for yourself. Find the right course with the relevant apprenticeship standards for you and go for it.”

Manoj went on to the final of the National Apprenticeship Awards on 25th November where he was Highly Commended.

Find out more about the WMG Senior Leader Programme here.

Written, reviewed and tested by students, for students! As part of the RSC's latest series of tutorial textbooks, a team of students and staff have co-authored textbooks on Stereochemistry and Contextual Maths in Chemistry.

Warwick students Caroline Akamune and Matthew Taylor and academics Andrew Clark and Russ Kitson teamed up with Leeds student Michael Lloyd and academics Nimesh Mistry and Paul Taylor to create a new stereochemistry textbook. What makes this book different is that it is co-authored with students to be in the 'student voice' making it more accessible to the undergraduate reader. It is also written so it can be used in conjunction with a molecular modelling kit, in-line with research that shows rotating and manipulating objects (e.g. molecular models) with your hands helps with grasping spatial cognition concepts in your head!

The RSC Chemistry Student Guides series editing team includes Warwick's own Julie Macpherson.

WMG an academic department at the University of Warwick was on this day, the 1st of October, 1980 started by the late Professor Lord Bhattacharyya.

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya sadly passed away on the 1st March 2019. His long and highly accomplished career in engineering and manufacturing began with his studies in Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur, before he moved to the UK to further his studies. After working at the University of Birmingham he was persuaded by the then Vice Chancellor at Warwick, Lord Butterworth, to move to the University of Warwick where he started WMG.

Over the years he went on to become a Government adviser to Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat Industry Ministers and Prime Ministers.

Vice Chancellor of the University of Warwick, Professor Stuart Croft comments:

“I’m sure I speak for the whole Warwick community when I say how fantastic it is to see how Professor Lord Bhattacharyya’s vision for WMG has flourished to become not only an exceptional part of our University but also our whole region, by connecting engineering and manufacturing industries with academia. I look forward to seeing what is in store for WMG in the years ahead, as it continues to go from strength to strength.”

The new Executive Chair for WMG is Margot James, who was appointed in April 2020, comments on the achievements so far and plans for the future of WMG.

“We operate on a huge scale today but our mission and vision is the same it was on that first autumn morning. The challenges we are addressing now are different to those of 40 years ago; the need for a zero carbon industry is at the forefront of so much of our work. Our experience and expertise have never been more relevant and vital.

“Whether educating the next generation of engineers or developing the technologies that will change our world, the challenges we embrace today will shape the next chapter of the WMG story. We have the creativity, the insight, and most of all, the people to make the next 40 years of WMG even more exciting and impactful as we build a smarter, greener, cleaner and healthier world.”

Congratulations to all of the brilliant WMG students who graduated, virtually.

Unfortunately the University’s traditional summer degree ceremonies were regrettably postponed due to the COVID19 pandemic. So, all students graduated in absentia until we can meet again, and hold our celebratory graduation ceremonies.

The University is working hard to reschedule the ceremonies on alternative dates later on in the 2020/21 academic year, and graduates will be notified when these have been arranged.

Graduating in absentia

This summer a total of 261 students from the Full-time Master’s and Part-time Postgraduate Programmes, including Master’s, Degree Apprenticeships and custom programmes, graduated from across WMG.

This was made up of 206 UK and 55 overseas students.

A further 22 graduated from the Postgraduate Research programme including 14 PhD, 7 EngD and one Master’s by Research students.

Find out more about all of WMG programmes here.

Talented educators from WMG have been recognised with accolades as part of the Warwick Awards for Teaching Excellence (WATE) and Warwick Awards for Personal Tutoring Excellence (WAPTE) respectively.

Announced during the week commencing 14^th July, three WMG staff members were recognised for their outstanding contributions to teaching and innovative approaches to supporting students, including Senior Teaching Fellows Shaheen Charlwood (WATE winner) and Andrew Hood (WATE commendee), as well as Nigel Denton, Deputy Senior Tutor (WAPTE winner).

Warwick Awards for Teaching Excellence

Chaired by Professor Christopher Hughes, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education), and including a diverse selection panel from across the University, Warwick Awards for Teaching Excellence (WATE) recognises the work of University staff as they strive to enhance, improve and expand the institution’s teaching and learning offering.

Winners receive a £5,000 injection into their respective department’s budget, whilst commendee departments receive £2,000. Shaheen Charlwood said:

“My best teachers have shown me that learning is inclusive and made me feel like I belong, so I am always very careful never to act in a way that might be perceived as elitist and to make students comfortable enough to take steps outside of their comfort zone.”

Winners will be awarded with their certificates at a Degree Congregation, and commendees will receive their awards at a celebration reception.

All University staff and current students can make a nomination for the award, so long as the prospective nominee teaches, supports students, enhances the student learning experience and supports colleagues.

Warwick Awards for Personal Tutoring Excellence

Also recognising good practice, effort and dedication across the institution, the Warwick Awards for Personal Tutoring Excellence (WAPTE) highlights the efforts of staff members in helping students through personal tutoring as a support mechanism.

Nigel Denton, Deputy Senior Tutor, was announced a WAPTE winner alongside just two other University staff members, including exemplary individuals from the Centre for Applied Linguistics and the Centre for Teacher Education. Nigel said:

“I take a leading role in the student induction process and encourage students to engage with the support and opportunities available at Warwick from the start of their degrees. I have a strong focus on employability and have developed links between the Careers Team and Personal Tutors to help students develop their career choices."

Visit this page to find out more about the Warwick Awards.