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Moving tale reaches international audience
The
work of three international media graduates who shot a low-budget production in
Mongolia
is being shown at a prestigious short film festival in November.
The
fictional film, made by the Media Production students in their final year, has
been selected to be shown in a special programme of student offerings at the
16th Encounters International Film Festival in Bristol from 16-21 November.
The
trio are Qin Fi from Mongolia,
who was director and scriptwriter, and the Chinese pair of cameraman Xiaochang
Yao and editor Yu Huang.
Called
Ge ri de Hai ri-ya , the film will be
shown alongside others from the top film schools in the UK including the
National Film and Television School, the National Film School of Ireland, and
the London Film School.
In
2009, more than 150 student and non-student international films were screened
in competition over five days to more than 500 delegates and 6,500 audience
members. The films and animations were a selection of the best new talent from
58 countries.
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Tom invested in his future with work placement
One graduate from the University of Bedfordshire
has landed on his feet at leading investment bank Morgan Stanley.
Tom Wiggins-Wilson, originally from Yorkshire, studied BA
(Hons) Business Management at the Bedford
campus. His stay at Bedfordshire included a one-year work placement in the London offices of Morgan
Stanley.
The 23 year old said: “I kept in touch with quite a few of
the people at Morgan Stanley from my work placement. When this job opportunity
came up at the Glasgow
office, I applied for it and managed to get it.”
Tom started his permanent position in May as a credit risk
operations analyst and has successfully completed his probation period.
He said: “Making and keeping contacts is vital and my work
placement was pivotal in getting this job at Morgan Stanley. It’s a similar
role to what I did during my work placement.”
The job has seen him move North of the Border and Tom
admitted: “I was a little bit homesick at first but I’m getting used to living
up here now.”
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Uni sponsors Bedford Midweek Cricket League
The University
of Bedfordshire
sponsored the top division of the Bedford Midweek Cricket League this season.
Bedford Pakistanis were the winners of the University of
Bedfordshire Division One league title and Elstow finished as the runners-up.
Steve Pitt, who is Head of Sport within the Learning
Resources/Student Services department, represented the University on awards
night recently at Kempston Hammers Cricket Club.
Mark Thompson, chairman of the Bedford Midweek Cricket
League, said: “It’s nice to attract the sponsorship of a large local
organisation which is growing and thriving. Hopefully we will work together
even more closely next season.”
For more information on the league, visit www.bedfordml.play-cricket.com
The photos show the
University of Bedfordshire’s Steve Pitt with the captain from league winners Bedford
Pakistanis (top) and league runners-up Elstow.
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Event explores food-related tourism
Fresh
fish from Cornwall, traditional haggis from Scotland and tender lamb from Wales
– you really cannot beat fresh local produce.
If
you are a business with links to the food and tourist sectors, or an individual
who loves to taste the local delights when you are on holiday, then why not
come along to a University of Bedfordshire event which will explore the
expanding Food-Related Tourism trend.
The
Knowledge Network event, which is part of the 2010 ‘Changing Lives’ programme,
will be held on 23 September and will focus on how high quality, local food has
become a key driver for many tourists when they are selecting a place to visit.
Research
carried out by the University of Bedfordshire revealed that more than 70 per
cent of potential visitors to Scotland want to taste traditional dishes,
regional specialities and fresh local produce. Food tourism is being
increasingly embraced as a vehicle of development because it offers a means of
enhancing the tourist spend without compromising the environmental, social or
cultural fabric of the region.
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Athletics event is a BIG success
Hundreds
of athletes converged on Bedford for a BIG athletics competition sponsored by
the University of Bedfordshire.
The
University was the official bib sponsor for the 16th annual Bedford
International Games, otherwise known as BIG 2010, at the Bedford International
Athletics Stadium.
The
highlight of the day was Olympic discus champion Gerd Kanter from Estonia making
an attempt on the world record.
Nigel
Levine from Bedford, a Great Britain 400m runner who won World and European
relay medals indoors last winter, won his race after recently visiting the
University to promote its sponsorship of the whole event.
Long
jumper Jenny Pacey from Borehamwood, better known as Enigma in the Sky TV series Gladiators ,
was trying to obtain the qualifying distance to make the England team for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India,
in early October.
Greg
Rutherford from Milton Keynes, the number one
male long jumper in the country, won his second event of the 100m.
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University helps thousands of hopeful students
Thousands of hopeful students have been calling the University of Bedfordshire clearing hotline in a bid to secure a last minute place.
On the first day of its clearing campaign last Thursday (19 August) the University received a staggering 19,000 calls to its special hotline.
Places are filling up fast so applicants need to pick up the phone now and decide quickly if they want to find a place for the new term.
At the time of going to press there were still some full-time places available, particularly in subjects like science and engineering.
The competition to get into university has never been tougher following the Government cap on places. Applications to the University of Bedfordshire this year rose 35 per cent – three times the national figure.
University of Bedfordshire Head of Admissions Susie King said: “As soon as our clearing hotline opened we were swamped with calls.
“Students wanted to know what courses were available. Many of the applicants who called us have now confirmed their offer of a place to start this term.”
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Hat-trick of books donated at England 2018 World Cup bid fundraiser
Alastair Campbell has donated three of his books to the University of Bedfordshire.
Tony Blair’s former political aide, who was Director of Communications
and Strategy in a previous Labour Government, was the guest speaker at a celebration
dinner at the StadiumMK, home of the MK Dons.
Milton Keynes is a host candidate city within the England
2018 World Cup bid and the evening raised funds for the bid and MK’s international
sporting city status.
Some University of Bedfordshire representatives at the fundraising
and publicity event included David Barrett (pictured with Alastair Campbell),
Tim Stone, Steve Kendall and Carsten Maple.
Football fan Campbell’s
donation, which includes one of his books with a best wishes testimonial, is
being kept at the Luton campus library.
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Russian film student exchange was 'a brilliant experience'
A month-long film project has seen English and Russian
students working far from home.
The quartet of students from the University
of Bedfordshire spent a fortnight in Russia as part of an ongoing partnership which
saw their counterparts from the St Petersburg State University of Cinema and
Television then visit the UK
for two weeks.
Students had previously written scripts and exchanged ideas
over the internet and filming took place in both Russia
and England.
They shot two movies in each country, one of which was a short film and the
other a longer one, on the theme of language and miscommunication.
The four - the Media Production trio of Conor Hughes, Olivia
Paolucci and Kirsty Slade and TV Production student David Watts - were joined
by Senior Lecturer and Course Leader MA Documentary Dave Green as well as
technical support/tutor Igor Drozdov.
The four Bedfordshire students were selected from a
competition in which they produced a one-minute film entitled Why I want to go to St Petersburg .
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Hockliffe Collection receives some much-loved additions
A Senior Lecturer in English at the University
of Bedfordshire went to Spain this
summer to extend the famed Hockliffe Collection of children’s books.
Dr Clare Walsh travelled to Lanzarote in July to meet Gill
David, the granddaughter of a local bookseller and former mayor of Bedford,
Frederick Hockliffe. His son, Maurice Frederick Rich Hockliffe, had donated his
father’s collection of rare early children’s books to what was then Bedford
Training College
back in 1927.
The Hockliffe Collection comprises almost 1,000 works of
fiction and non-fiction for children from the 18th, 19th and early 20th
centuries. These include a wide range of literary genres, from fables and fairytales,
through periodicals and instruction books, to poetry and fiction, as well as
books on games and pastimes, natural science, history, maths, geography and
travel among others.
The books are held in specially designed cabinets in the
foyer of the library at the Bedford
campus but thanks to advances in digital technology, anyone can now access the
collection by visiting www.cts.dmu.ac.uk/hockliffe
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Celebrate three decades of the Bedfordshire Youth Opera
Three decades of the Bedfordshire Youth Opera is being
marked at the University later this month.
One of the world’s best loved operas, The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart, is being presented by
Bedfordshire Youth Opera (BYO) from 30 August - 4 September (excluding 1
September) in the University of Bedfordshire Theatre at the Bedford campus on
Polhill Avenue.
Based on Beaumarchais’ play, The Marriage of Figaro is a delightful mix of farce and melodrama
tinged with tragedy and romance, heavily influenced by the Commedia dell’Arte
tradition, all set to some of Mozart’s most beautiful music.
To celebrate its 30th anniversary, BYO is revisiting this
wonderful piece in a new production which promises to be both touching and very
funny. Mischievous plots, cunning disguises, mistaken identities and a broken
flower pot combine to produce a night to remember.
All productions of The
Marriage of Figaro will start at 7.30pm. Tickets are £10 each and are
available from the Central Box Office at the Bedford Corn Exchange, by calling
01234 269519 or by visiting www.bedfordcornexchange.co.uk
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