News Archive: October 2015

Bronze for Ben in Hill Climb Championship

Ben Butler, a final year PhD student from the School of Ocean Sciences , claimed bronze at the British Universities Hill Climb Championship on Saturday 24 th October. The event saw nearly 200 student cyclists from across Britain tackle the notoriously hard climb up Curbar Gap in the Peak District. The road has an average gradient of 11% over 1 mile, making it a truly testing effort for all of the participants. Riders were set off individually at 1 minute intervals to set their best time up the climb.

Publication date: 30 October 2015

Spotlight on Royal works of art

The annual T. Rowland Hughes Public Lecture at Bangor University ‘The Royal Collection on show’ takes place on Thursday 12 November at 7.00pm in Bangor University’s Main Arts Lecture Theatre.

Publication date: 29 October 2015

Bangor University unites employers and students at unique law careers fair

With 91% of first degree Law graduates in work or further study six months after graduating and a commitment to improving the career prospects of its students, it’s easy to see why Bangor University Law School is ranked as the no.1 law school in Wales, according to the latest league tables from The Guardian . One of the ways in which the School aims to enhance its students’ employability is through its annual Law Fair, where aspiring young lawyers have an invaluable opportunity to meet and network with some of the region’s most prominent employers, including solicitors and barristers, as well as those from the non-legal sector.

Publication date: 29 October 2015

Pontio’s opening artistic programme looks to the future whilst acknowledging the past

Pontio, Bangor University’s soon-to-be-opened Arts and Innovation Centre, will announce its inaugural artistic programme today, 28 October 2015.

Publication date: 28 October 2015

Prof. Phil Molyneux attends Global Islamic Finance Conference

Professor Philip Molyneux, Professor of Banking and Finance and Dean of the College of Business, Law, Education and Social Sciences, recently attended an international conference in Istanbul.

Publication date: 28 October 2015

Designs unveiled for £20m Menai Science Park as Minister visits site

Development of Menai Science Park ( M-SParc ) took another step forward today with the unveiling of the architectural designs for the first building proposed at the Gaerwen site during a visit by Minister for Economy, Science and Transport Edwina Hart.

Publication date: 27 October 2015

Large, violent animal packs impacted the ecosystems of the Pleistocene, team of scientists reports

Dr Matt Hayward , Senior Lecturer in Conservation in the College of Natural Sciences at Bangor University was part of a team that has identified the critical role that large predators play in controlling herbivores in ecosystems.

Publication date: 27 October 2015

The African lion: what faster decline of apex predator means for ecosystems

This article by Matt Hayward , Senior Lecturer in Conservation in the College of Natural Sciences , was originally published on The Conversation . Read the original article . There is nothing as awe-inspiring as watching the brutal power of a lion capturing its prey. At close range, their throaty roars thump through your body, raising a cold sweat triggered by the fear of what these animals are capable of doing now, and what they once did to our ancestors. They are the most majestic animals left on our planet, and yet we are currently faced with the very real possibility that they will be functionally extinct within our lifetime.

Publication date: 27 October 2015

Corrugated solar building material reveals potential

Research by Noel Bristow (PhD in electronic engineering ) and Dr Jeff Kettle of Bangor University’s School of Electronic Engineering published in The Royal Society of Chemistry (Energy & Environmental Science, DOI:10.1039/C5EE02162F ) suggests that applying organic photovoltaics (OPVs) onto three dimensional substrates (as opposed to flat), can provide substantial improvements to their efficiency and usefulness.

Publication date: 26 October 2015

Gwen Elin wins Bryn Terfel Urdd Scholarship

Sunday evening, 25 October, 2015 singer Gwen Elin from Benllech, Angelsey, who is following a degree course at School of Welsh, Bangor University, won the prestigious Urdd Gobaith Cymru Bryn Terfel Scholarship in a spectacular concert held in Blackwood Miners’ Institute. The Scholarship, which is worth £4,000, was presented to her in the concert that was broadcast live on S4C.

Publication date: 26 October 2015

Bangor University lecturer honoured for contribution to education in botanic gardens

Dr Sophie Williams, a lecturer in conservation at Bangor University, has been awarded the Marsh Christian Award for Education in Botanic Gardens .

Publication date: 23 October 2015

£30 million investment in Combined Food and Power facilities in Wales announced.

Orthios Eco Parks Limited and Bangor University have today announced the agreement to work towards the creation of a Combined Food and Power (CFP) Centre of Excellence.

Publication date: 23 October 2015

SENRGy’s postgraduates report fantastic student satisfaction

The release of the 2015 National Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) results has seen another year of great success for the School of Environment Natural Resources and Geography (SENRGy). The School achieved a hugely impressive 99% overall satisfaction score.

Publication date: 23 October 2015

Defining 'evidence'

This week Prof Andrew Pullin, from the Centre for Evidence-Based Conservation in the School of Environment, Natural Resources & Geography , attended a Roundtable Meeting in the Houses of Parliament to discuss the definition of evidence in Parliament

Publication date: 23 October 2015

Research in Education: a Conference for Teachers

This year the School of Education will be hosting a one-day conference to discuss research conducted by staff, students and teachers relating to current themes within education.

Publication date: 23 October 2015

Keeping you in the Legal Loop: Law graduates launch news website

Two Bangor University graduates have launched a legal news and study aid website aimed at the next generation of lawyers. Launched on 1st October, Legal Loop is described as a one-stop online resource for keeping up to date with the latest legal developments in the UK.

Publication date: 23 October 2015

£10m EU boost for new Menai Science Park (M-SParc)

A £10m EU boost for the development of the new Menai Science Park has been announced by First Minister Carwyn Jones today.

Publication date: 22 October 2015

Bangor University Students conquer Kilimanjaro

After six days of blood, sweat and tears a group of Bangor University students triumphantly reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, all in the name of charity.

Publication date: 22 October 2015

Think twice about who you chose as leader: narcissists are initially appealing but don’t deliver in the long term

From events such as the Rugby World Cup to party politics, coaches, captains and party leaders are in the spotlight. Leadership is an important aspect of everyday life as well, and we all choose leaders or at least, work with leaders. For example, we know who is “boss” in the workplace, who is “captain” at Sunday footie, and who at home is “in charge”.

Publication date: 21 October 2015

Study shows the economic impact of Welsh universities is powering the economy in all parts of the nation

A newly updated study by higher education experts shows that universities in Wales are playing a crucial role in powering the Welsh economy. Welsh universities, together with the expenditure of off-campus spending by students and visitors, generated £4.6 billion of output in Wales. The higher education sector is shown to be one of Wales’ most valuable industries, creating tens of thousands of jobs and stimulating other economic activity in local communities, as well as the wider Welsh economy.

Publication date: 20 October 2015

New Research Aims to Revolutionise Pollen Forecasting

A team of researchers are developing a new generation of pollen monitoring which they hope will lead to improved forecasts for thousands of the UK population suffering from summer allergies.

Publication date: 20 October 2015

Good Luck Gwen for Bryn Terfel Scholarship Competition

A student from Bangor University is competing in the Bryn Terfel Scholarship Competition, having been shortlisted by the judging panel. The University wishes Welsh and Theatre & Media Studies student, Gwen Elin the best of luck for the Competition.

Publication date: 19 October 2015

Three receive Widening Access Busraries

Studies have got off to a great start for three postgraduate students at Bangor University as they’ve each been awarded a £5,000 Scholarship to support their studies.

Publication date: 19 October 2015

New signage installed at Bangor University Stadium

The Bangor University Stadium, the home of Bangor City Football Club unveiled its new signage today (16th October).

Publication date: 16 October 2015

Psychological principles could explain major healthcare failings

A paper in the BMJ’s Journal of Medical Ethics breaks new ground by using psychological approaches and insights to review major health crises within the NHS. Despite several complex and high profile inquiries into major healthcare failings in the NHS, mistakes reoccur and failings in patient safety continue. While inquiries describe what went wrong in each case, questions of how and why such failures happened remain unanswered. In the research paper, Dr Michelle Rydon-Grange who has just qualified as a Clinical Psychologist at the School of Psychology , applies psychological theory to find new understandings of the causes that lead to catastrophic failures in healthcare settings.

Publication date: 15 October 2015

Need for speed finally trumps demands of ad trackers to offer a sleeker mobile web

An article by Andrew McStay , Senior Lecturer in Media Culture, School of Creative Studies & Media , originally published on The Conversation . Read the original article . To adblock or not to adblock? It seems the mobile web is reaching a turning point as the effects of the huge numbers of adverts and advertising trackers and widgets embedded in web pages become better understood .

Publication date: 14 October 2015

£1.8m funding for large-scale online resource of contemporary Welsh language

As a leading authority on Welsh language technologies, Bangor University will be participating in a multi-institution project to develop the first mass corpus to capture and inform the past, present and future use of the Welsh language.

Publication date: 13 October 2015

Be amazed at the Natural History Museum, Brambell Building, Bangor University

Museums across Wales are getting ready to celebrate and promote Wales’ outstanding cultural offer at the second Welsh Museums Festival from 24 October – 1 November. Over 100 events and exhibitions will be on offer for the whole family from sleepovers, talks, walks, hunts and handling sessions to archaeologist digs, re-enactments, dressing up, tea parties and Halloween themed activities.

Publication date: 12 October 2015

Spain marks its national day – but not everyone is celebrating

Spain has been marking its national day – the anniversary of the arrival of Cristóbal Colón (otherwise known as Christopher Columbus) in the Americas. But this year’s nationwide holiday comes at moment of significant tension, amid questions about whether the nation will hold together for much longer. Helena Miguelez-Carballeira, Senior Lecturer in Hispanic Studies , originally published on The Conversation Read the original article .

Publication date: 12 October 2015

Using Welsh within the community

As part of an evaluation of the Welsh Government’s Welsh Language Strategy, Dr Rhian Hodges and Dr Cynog Prys, of Bangor University’s School of Social Sciences conducted a research study into the opportunities to use Welsh in six communities in Wales. The Welsh Language was found to be in a fragile state within the communities studied: Cardigan, Aberystwyth, Bangor, Llanrwst, Porthmadog and Ammanford. Despite this, evidence of the use of Welsh was found in the communities, along with a desire to have more varied opportunities to use Welsh within daily life (i.e while shopping or receiving Public Services).

Publication date: 9 October 2015

Mastermind winner inspires Bangor Law students

Dr Shaun Wallace, Senior Barrister at Great St James Street Chambers, London, recently attended Bangor Law School’s Alumni Weekend, where he inspired Bangor Law alumni with his fascinating life story. Shaun is also equally well known for his role as one of the country’s leading quiz players, his most famous conquest being his success in winning BBC One's Mastermind in 2004, as well as having been on BBC Two's Eggheads , Channel 4's 15-1, and BBC One's The Weakest Link. Today he is probably best known for his lead role as the 'Dark Destroyer' Chaser on ITV's The Chase.

Publication date: 9 October 2015

Three Bangor research projects among top 20 contributing towards development

No fewer than three research projects at Bangor University have been selected from nearing 7,000 submissions to be included among the top 20 most impressive examples of UK research contributing to development .

Publication date: 9 October 2015

Three receive funding to study doctorate degrees through Welsh

Three new Bangor University students are among the nine to receive funding from the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol to enable them to follow a doctorate degree through the medium of Welsh over the next few years. The three are among nine Scholarship winners announced and join another nine students at Bangor University, who are already studying under the scheme.

Publication date: 9 October 2015

Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics visit University for training

In April 2015, Bangor University and Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding committing both organisations to work more closely together in the future.

Publication date: 8 October 2015

A fantastic opportunity for A-level students in Welsh

A three-day Course for students of Welsh as a Second Language (16-18 November) and Welsh as First Language (18-20 November)

Publication date: 7 October 2015

Health and Medical Research Showcase

Bangor University and the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) held their first open Joint Research Showcase recently. The event showcased current research interests across the two organisations and sought to create opportunity for greater research collaboration in the region. Over 110 delegates were registered for the conference and 50 research abstracts were submitted for the event which included a poster conference.

Publication date: 7 October 2015

Helping local organisations to fill the gaps

A new online job vacancy portal is enabling employers and voluntary organisations across north Wales and beyond, to fill vacancies and opportunities within their organisations. Bangor Prospects is promoting their vacancies to thousands of students and graduates who are currently looking for part-time or casual work; graduate level opportunities; paid placements, internships & voluntary opportunities.

Publication date: 6 October 2015

Student’s play receives welcome on tour

An student at the University's School of Welsh is behind a new currently touring Wales and taking the world of Welsh theatre by storm. Llŷr Titus is being described as ‘one of Wales’ hottest young playwrights’, and his latest play, ‘ Drych ’, is produced by Cwmni’r Frân Wen , under the direction of Ffion Haf, who also happens to be a Theatre and Performance Lecturer at Bangor University’s School of Creative Studies & Media , as well as an associate Director with Cwmni’r Frân Wen.

Publication date: 6 October 2015

Bangor Alumnus returns from Canadian Climbing Expedition

An experienced professional mountaineer and Bangor University alumnus has recently returned from a challenging expedition in the breathtakingly beautiful Canadian Rockies.

Publication date: 5 October 2015