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University of Westminster
The University of Westminster has launched a £5m fundraising campaign to restore a historic cinema that was venue for the UK’s first ever public display of moving pictures in 1896.
The campaign has already received a £1m donation by the MBI Al Jaber Foundation to transform the cinema which is currently used as a lecture theatre at the university.
Under new plans, the venue will become a working cinema once again, showcasing student work and experimental film from around the world.
The new cinema will also double-up as a modern lecture theatre to host a new public lecture programme, and the marble entrance hall will be transformed into a venue for art and cultural exhibitions.
To find out more about campaign visit www.birthplaceofcinema.com.
Simon – www.studylondon.ac.uk
Courtauld Institute of Art
International students in London can now develop their understanding of art history with a short course at the Courtauld Institute of Art.
The Institute’s evening lecture series Showcasing Art History investigates a range of fundamental art historical themes. The coming spring term explores the perennial problems of ‘influence’, ‘tradition’ and ‘innovation’, while the summer term focuses on the world-renowned Courtauld Gallery collections, including iconic works by Manet, Cézanne and Renoir.
The Summer School (2010) features 34 week-long courses and gives you the chance to engage intensively with works of art from classical antiquity to the present day. Inspiring lectures from specialist art historians are complemented by visits to London’s museums and galleries, offering a unique insight into the world of art history.
Visit the Courtauld short course website for more information.
Simon – www.studylondon.ac.uk
University College London
London has more universities in the top 100 universities than any other city in the world, according to the 2009 Times Higher Education – QS World University Rankings.
University College London was ranked 4th in the world, rising 3 places since last year and an incredible 30 places since 2004. The college is now ranked higher than Oxford University, which is ranked joint 5th together with another of London’s universities, Imperial College London.
Other notable entries in the top 100 include King’s College London at number 23 and the London School Economics (LSE) at number 67.
The Times Higher Education – QS World University Rankings measure universities using a number of criteria including academic peer review, employer review, the faculty staff to student ratio, citations per faculty and the proportion of international students and international staff at each university.
Simon – www.studylondon.ac.uk
The National Gallery
Inside Out is a major new arts festival organised by nine of London’s leading creative universities.
It is the UK’s first-ever festival of higher education and will see a range of cultural events taking place all over the city, both on-campus and at leading cultural venues in the city including King’s Place, Somerset House and the National Portrait Gallery.
From film and music to theatre and visual art, from exhibitions and screenings to workshops and debates, the Inside Out Festival will add an extra splash of colour and energy to the city’s university campuses in October.
The participating universities are:
- University of the Arts London
- Birkbeck, University of London
- City University London
- The Courtauld Institute of Art
- Goldsmiths, University of London
- Guildhall School of Music & Drama
- King’s College London
- Queen Mary, University of London
- Royal Holloway, University of London
Kevin – www.studylondon.ac.uk
Dominic's Contortionist bike design
Royal College of Art MA graduate Dominic Hargreaves has designed an innovative full size folding bike.
The new graduate’s invention is called the Contortionist in reference to the way the full-sized aluminium frame collapses into the circumference of its wheels.
The design has already been shortlisted for the James Dyson Award for student designers, sponsored by the entrepreneur and inventor James Dyson. The design is only a prototype at the moment but has attracted considerable interest in the industry.
Dominic is also a graduate from Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication, where he undertook a BA in Product Design. The self-confessed bike fanatic admits to owning 14 bikes, although many of these are in pieces to help him discover how they work.
With cycling increasing in popularity it may not be long until we see these folding bikes being walked along London’s streets.
Kevin – www.studylondon.ac.uk
Video
Indian superstar AR Rahman
Indian superstar AR Rahman has been awarded an Honorary Degree from Middlesex University at a ceremony to celebrate the partnership between the University and KM Music Conservatory in Chennai.
AR Rahman is best known for recently winning two Oscars for the music he wrote for the smash hit film Slumdog Millionaire.
The partnership between the two institutions will focus on educational collaboration, especially in the area of music and the blending of Asian and Western musical styles.
Kevin – www.studylondon.ac.uk
Kingston University London
Kingston University London
The Times described Kingston as “one of the leading new universities” in its Good University Guide 2007.
The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) audit has praised the accessibility of the University’s academic staff; the level of support it offers; the external input from industry into its courses and its work placement opportunities.
The University has roots going back over 100 years and is based in Kingston upon Thames, a busy riverside town. During the past decade, Kingston University has been the fastest growing university in England. Students from more than 130 countries choose to study at Kingston.
Quick facts:
- Over 19,300 students; more than 700 academic staff; income of £132 million.
- 955 undergraduate courses and combinations along with a range of postgraduate and short courses.
- Kingston University is investing £110 million in its estate
Contact details
Kingston University London
River House
53-57 High Street
Kingston upon Thames
Surrey, KT1 1LQ
Tel: +44 (0)20 8547 2000
Web: www.kingston.ac.uk
**This profile is part of a series which forms a directory of London’s universities. You can read more university profiles here as they are published.**
Micheline Mannion's book cover (source: D&DA)
A Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design student has been named student of the year at the prestigious D&AD Student Awards.
Micheline Mannion designed a solution to the Faber & Faber book cover brief, incorporating the publisher’s new Print on Demand (PoD) service. It’s a quirky take on the old-fashioned highlighter pen combined with cutting-edge technology to create a personalised cover.
The international D&AD Awards reward outstanding creativity and high standards of design and innovation amongst students studying courses in advertising, graphic design, digital media, film & animation, photography, illustration, product design and interior design.
Kevin – www.studylondon.ac.uk
Inspirational Londoners by Sue Kemp
A new art exhibition celebrates some of London’s most inspiring figures. Five students from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design were commissioned by the student accommodation provider Unite to exhibit their artwork in Unite’s new student accommodation in London’s vibrant East End.
The exhibition will feature an eclectic selection of Londoners, past and present – from the architect behind the Gherkin, Sir Norman Foster, to Phyllis Pearlsall who created London’s first A to Z street map by painstakingly walking every street until she had mapped them all!
Sue Kemp, a fine art student at CSM, chose to celebrate all Londoners in her painting (pictured), creating a collage of everyday, ordinary people who through creativity, self-belief and hard work have achieved amazing things.
Simon – www.studylondon.ac.uk
An artist's impression of Goldsmith's new building
Work has started on a £20 million cutting-edge new building at Goldsmiths, University of London, which will have many environmentally friendly features, such as bat and bird boxes, as well as the latest technology for students.
The building, to be completed summer 2010, will house the Department of Media and Communications, and house radio, TV and photographic studios. In addition the building will contain a 250 seat lecture theatre, 120 seat screening room and a café with outside seating.
The building will help protect the environment with heating sourced from a biomass boiler and extensive use of natural ventilation, aided by four large wind towers on the roof.
Kevin – www.studylondon.ac.uk
“London is a city where different cultures and thoughts meet. Living in this city, I never feel bored.
