Week Ending 16 February 2007 -
Synopsis number 737

University of Dundee News

Making a real difference
When Dr Hilary-Kay Young's career as a microbiology lecturer took her to Dundee University almost 20 years ago, she developed a research team that worked on collaborative projects overseas. Fieldwork took her to remote parts of India where a study helped compare problems with the antibiotic resistance of bacteria in the developing and developed worlds.
The Courier 16.02.07

Pair of artists put down some roots in city
A New film created by internationally renowned Scottish artists Dalziel and Scullion is to have its first public showing this weekend in the north-east. The pair have worked in collaboration since 1993 and they have a studio at the University of Dundee's Fine Art department.
Press & Journal 15.02.07

Scots varsities fail to share in UK's big rise in student admissions
Universities north of the border are not seeing the huge increase in student admissions enjoyed by institutions in the rest of the UK, new figures have shown. Applications to Dundee University dropped last year by 3%, but a spokesman put this down to the entry requirements for medicine and dentistry courses being raised.
Press & Journal 15.02.07

Wide variation in university applications
as above
The Courier 15.02.07

Professor's Act of Union view
Lord Provost John Letford visited Dundee University yesterday to hear a lecture on the reasons behind the Act of Union 300 years ago.
The Courier 15.02.07

Would be a huge loss
Letter to the editor - Sir, I am greatly concerned about Dundee University's cost-cutting threatening the future of the botanic garden.
The Courier 15.02.07

Academic set to call the shots over wild west
Scottish settlers were unfairly blamed for the bloodshed during America's wild west era because they were stereotyped as sword-wielding rebels, according to an academic at a Scottish university. Dundee University lecturer Matthew Ward has now been awarded a £240,000 grant for a five-year study which will challenge that theory, which he says is based on stereotypes of cut-throat Celtic savagery, long held by some Americans and propped up by famous outlaws such as Butch Cassidy, who claimed Scottish descent.
Press & Journal 14.02.07

Wild West under academic scrutiny
as above
The Courier 14.02.07

News
Dundee University celebrated its 40th birthday on Friday with a party at the city's Caird Hall.
The Scotsman 14.02.07

News
Dundee University is also launching its new school of accounting and finance with a special event next week.
The Scotsman 14.02.07

Imaging technology lecture
A lecture was given last night at Dundee University on new imaging technology used by doctors to help them detect diseases in bodily organs.
The Courier 14.02.07

MP's assurances over university closures
Dundee West MP Jim McGovern yesterday said he did not foresee any major closures of departments or services at Dundee University.
The Courier 14.02.07

Candidate weighs into university cuts row
Senior management at Dundee University are using its financial woes to force through changes they wanted anyway, it was claimed last night. Ex-ambassador Craig Murray, a candidate to be the university's next rector, said Sir Alan Langlands, principal and vice- chancellor, had expanded bureaucracy and cut services in his last job as head of the NHS in England and was now trying to repeat the process.
The Courier 14.02.07

£10,000 for research into rare disorder
Researchers in Dundee have been awarded £10,000 for their work on a study into a rare genetic disorder which affects boys. Scientists at Dundee University have been given the grant to continue research into Lowe Syndrome, an incurable condition which only affects boys and reduces cataracts in the eyes, defects in brain development and kidney problems.
Press & Journal 13.02.07

New university research cash
as above
The Courier 13.02.07

Further funding for city research
as above
Evening Telegraph 12.02.07

Folk duo in charity concert
Two of Scotland's leading exponents of traditional music will combine forces for a major charity event at Perth Concert Hall. Fiddle virtuoso Paul Anderson and pianist George Donald, of Scotland the What? fame will perform on Saturday, April 14, in aid of Dundee University's diabetes research campaign.
The Perthshire Courier 13.02.07

QC Colin Campbell to become judge
Leading Qc Colin Campbell is to be made a judge, the Scottish Executive said yesterday. Mr Campbell, 53, has been appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of First Minister Jack McConnell. Educated at Dundee University, he became an advocate in 1977 and a QC in 1990.
Press & Journal 13.02.07

Postgraduate study event
an open day about postgraduate study will take place at Dundee University's school of humanities on Thursday from 2-4pm and 6-8pm in the Ustinov Room at the Bonar Hall.
The Courier 13.02.07

Estimated loss of revenue at £20m
A task force set up following a series of Dundee jobs blows is determined not to let a feared £20 million-a-year loss of revenue to the city become a reality. In addition to the job losses at NCR, there have been cuts announced at Tesco and Wood Group in recent months, while Dundee University is seeking to avoid compulsory redundancies.
The Courier 13.02.07

Legal update - PEOPLE
as above
The Scotsman 13.02.07

Sustainable housing guide launched
A new Sustainable Housing Design Guide for Scotland has been launched with advice on how housing developers can make their buildings more environmentally friendly. The online version of The Sustainable Housing Design Guide for Scotland, written by Fionn Stevenson, reader in architecture at the University of Dundee, and Nick Williams, a freelance planning consultant, was officially launched by Scottish Minister for Communities Rhona Brankin in Edinburgh.
Press & Journal 13.02.07

Deserved a mention
Letter to the editor - Sir,-I was lucky enough to be in the audience at the honorary degree ceremony and 40 years of the university in Dundee celebrations on Friday. It was a pleasure to see these Dundee residents being honoured for their various accomplishments.
The Courier 13.02.07

Craig Murray: Our man in Dundee
Interview with Craig Murray former ambassador to Uzbekistan and currently in the running for Friday's election for the post of rector of Dundee University against a former Scottish rugby international, Andy Nicoll.
The Guardian 13.02.07

Wolf collects top award for leading contributions in life science field
Professor Roland Wolf has been honoured with a leading life-sciences award for his outstanding contribution to the development of the sector in Scotland. Wolf, the director of the Biomedical Research Centre at the University of Dundee, won the prize for the leading contribution to life sciences in Scotland at the Scottish Enterprise Life Sciences Award.
The Scotsman 12.02.07

New scanner explained A new medical imaging technology that allows painless scans of organs will form the basis of a public lecture at Dundee University tomorrow night.
The Courier 12.02.07

Probing group psychology
"The commonly held belief is that crowds are bad for you" says psychologist Professor Steve Reicher. We decided to look at what is the largest gathering on earth - the Mela, in India. What Steve and his fellow researchers, (including Dundee University's Dr Nick Hopkins), found at the Mela was extraordinary levels of peace and harmony.
The Courier 12.02.07

Burness beefs up IP with partner appointment
Burness, the Edinburgh and Glasgow commercial law firm, has strengthened its presence in the fields of intellectual property and information technology with the appointment of a partner. Colin Hulme, 34, becomes a Burness partner with immediate effect. Belfast-born Hulme studied law at Dundee University and trained at Semple Fraser.
The Herald 12.02.07

The collage professor
David Mach must have injected pure adrenalin into his cereal this morning. Despite the early hour, the Methil-born artist is already in his south London studio and expounding passionately on everything from the relationship between science and art to the Scottish/Polish work ethic. No wonder Dundee University believed they could benefit by harnessing just a tiny percentage of this one-man idea generator when they bestowed the title of Professor of Inspiration and Discovery on Mach.
Scotland on Sunday 11.02.07

Braveheart forms £12m capital fund for university's spin-outs
Braveheart, the business angel investment group, is to set up a £12m venture capital fund for technology companies in partnership with Strathclyde University. The deal is potentially the biggest of a number of recent contracts between universities and funding providers. It follows tie-ups between Dundee University and Sigma Capital Group, and between Glasgow University and IP Group, the London-based commercialisation specialist.
Scotland on Sunday 11.02.07

More sex please ...we're Scottish
Scots way-hey! It might be freezing in the great outdoors this weekend but temperatures are soaring in the nation's bedrooms. 'Adopted Dundonian' Lorraine Kelly, the GMTV presenter and outgoing Rector of Dundee University is quoted.
Scotland on Sunday 11.02.07

Fire Brigade warns student pranksters
Students are putting lives at risk with dangerous pranks, fir service bosses have warned. One in every seven calls to the fire brigade made from Scotland's five biggest student residence block was a false alarm. They have details of call outs from various university halls including Dundee University's Belmont Hall.
Sunday Post 11.02.07

Liz braves protest for honour
Famous names braved the rain, and a crowd of protesters, to collect honorary awards from Dundee University yesterday. The university handed out the honorary degrees to leading figures with local links to celebrate its 40th anniversary and to mark its relationship with the city.
Press & Journal 10.02.07

University says thanks to home city
as above
The Courier 10.02.07

no heading
as above
The Courier 10.02.07

Please for investment in "rare national asset"
as above
The Courier 10.02.07

Video art depicts ups and downs of union
Shotgun Wedding, by Tracy Mackenna and Edwin Janssen, has been developed to mark the 300th-year anniversary of the Treaty of Union, when Scotland and England created the United Kingdom. The inspiration for the installation was sparked by the research for the book The Scots and the Union, by Professor Christopher Whatley, vice-principal and head of the college of arts and social sciences at Dundee University.
Press & Journal 10.02.07

Looking at the treaty of Union
as above
The Courier 10.02.07

Life sciences award for new firm
Aberdeen life sciences company B1 Medical is celebrating winning a Scottish Enterprise Scottish Life Sciences Award. Dundee life scientist Professor Roland Wolf was honoured with an SE Life Sciences Award for his outstanding individual contribution to the development of the life sciences sector in Scotland. Prof Wolf is director of the Biomedical Research Centre at Dundee University, and has worked in life sciences in Scotland since 1982.
Press & Journal 10.02.07

Recognition for life sciences role
as above
The Courier 10.02.07

Soprano shines at University event
Comparisons between Mozart and Faure are rare. Their style of composition differs greatly, but in the delivery of their songs a similarity lies. At yesterday's lunchtime concert in the Dundee University Chaplaincy Centre, soprano Kathleen White showed admirable competence in both aspects.
The Courier 10.02.07

All eyes on Central performer
When the most outstanding middle distance runner of her generation says, on the eve of the national cross-country championships, "I'm just treating it as a training run", experienced harriers nod sagely. They know a burn-up is in prospect. Yet Morag MacLarty dismisses such a notion over the Scottish Power national cross country championships tomorrow at Falkirk. MacLarty faces a formidable field, and all eyes will be on the fourth-year Dundee medical student on her 21st birthday.
The Herald 10.02.07

University of Dundee Radio, TV & online

Cell signalling symposium for Dundee
Millipore announces that it is sponsoring the fourth annual Cell Signalling Symposium, 2007, to be held August 30 - September 2 at the Apex City Quay Hotel and Spa, Dundee, UK. The symposium is co-sponsored by Millipore and the MRC Protein Phosphorylation Unit at the University of Dundee.
LaboratoryTalk
http://www.laboratorytalk.com/news/mll/mll232.html 16.02.07

Pourquié Lab clarifies mode of formation of spinal precursors
Tadahiro Iimura, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate in the Pourquié Lab, is the lead author on a paper challenging controversial theories about the mode of formation of the vertebral column precursor, known as the paraxial mesoderm. Xuesong Yang and Cornelis J. Weijer of the Division of Cell and Developmental Biology at Wellcome Trust Biocentre at the University of Dundee also contributed to this publication.
EurekAlert http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-02/sifm-plc021507.php 15.02.07

Paper Challenges Controversial Theories About Mode Of Formation Of Spinal Precursors
as above
ScienceDailly
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070215144005.htm 16.02.07

Museum of Lost Interactions
Graham Pullin sends us MoLI, the Museum of Lost Interactions. His 3rd year students in the Interactive Media Design course at the University of Dundee were asked to explore the history of interactive design and reflect on the social impact that the technological changes have brought.
Core77
http://www.core77.com/blog/technology/ 14.02.07

Major new contemporary works debut at Aberdeen Art Gallery
A new film created by internationally renowned Scottish artists Dalziel and Scullion is to have its first public showing this weekend, at Aberdeen Art Gallery. The film – entitled Some Distance From The Sun – is presented by Peacock Visual Arts in collaboration with the Art Gallery. The pair have worked in collaboration since 1993 and they have a studio at the University of Dundee's Fine Art department.
Aberdeen City Council
http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/acci/web/site/CouncilNews/pr/ 14.02.07

Dundee Uni cuts back in spotlight
It's being claimed Dundee University bosses are using financial problems as an excuse for making changes they were in favour of anyway. One of the candidates to be the instititution's next rector has made the allegation during a hustings with students.
Radio Tay 14.02.07

Colin Malcolm Campbell QC appointed Senator of the College of Justice in Scotland
Her Majesty the Queen, on the recommendation of the First Minister, has appointed Colin Malcolm Campbell QC to be a Senator of the College of Justice in Scotland. Mr Campbell was educated at Dundee University where he graduated with a first class Honours degree in 1975.
PressZoom http://presszoom.com/story_124290.html 14.02.07

Education round-up - Dundee
Over 200 Dundee University students, lecturers and workers protested on Thursday of last week against a plan to slash over 100 jobs as part of management’s “sustainability review”.
SocialistWorker http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=10719 17.02.07

University announces new school
Dundee University has set up a new school of accounting and finance. The move to grant "elevated status" to the subjects aims to reflect a growing importance placed on them.
BBC News Online http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/6354453.stm 13.02.07

Dundee University rector hustings
Hustings for the next rector of Dundee University take place at the students association today. Ex-Scotland rugby captain Andy Nicol and former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, are the candidates. The election, which will be held on Friday, will determine who'll succeed television presenter Lorraine Kelly who's stood down after three years in the post.
Radio Tay 13.02.07

Cash for research on genetic disease
One of the UK's foremost scientists has joined Cardiff University to try to solve a rare genetic disease that affects babies and young children. Dr Andy Tee, 30, has been awarded £750,000 to continue the progress he has already made in the study of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Dr Tee became interested in TSC after studying the disease at Dundee University.
icWales http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_headline=cash-for-research-on-genetic-disease--&method=full&objectid=18609256&siteid=50082-name_page.html 12.02.07

No university job losses expected
Staffing cuts at St Andrews University are not envisaged in the near future, despite recent announcements by Strathclyde and Dundee Universities of more than 300 job cuts owing to budget pressures.
Fife Today http://www.fifenow.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=1022&ArticleID=2038276 09.02.07

Dundee University celebrates 40th anniversary
Some of Tayside's most famous faces have been helping to celebrate Dundee University's 40th birthday today. But mounting debts and possible job cuts meant not everyone was in the party spirit.
STV
http://www.stv.tv/content/news/main/display.html?id=opencms:/news/tayside/ 09.02.07

Cuttings from last week - please see:

[Week ending - 9 February 2007]
[National TV & Newspapers]

If you wish to receive copies of cuttings please print the synopsis page (this page) marking the article you would like copied and send to Beverly Smeaton, Press Office, 5th Floor, Tower Building. We also offer a weekly synopsis by e-mail through the Cuttings Service.