Windrush Grant
The University of Wolverhampton and Windrush Legal Advice
Clinic will receive over £24,000 to raise awareness of the Windrush Scheme and Windrush Compensation Scheme. The University will do this by giving voice through art, design, and media to the stories of successful Windrush compensation applicants.
The aim of the funded project will be to give affected people the confidence to engage with government departments to enquire about and apply for claims, signposting and promoting how to find support while allaying potential applicants’ worries.x
Hong Kong Alumni Association Celebrates 21 Amazing Years
The University’s Hong Kong Alumni Association celebrated its 21st anniversary at its latest annual ceremony, marking over two decades of successful partnerships.
The combining of talents, resources, and vision between City University Hong Kong’s School of Continuing and Professional Education (SCOPE)
and the University of Wolverhampton began in 2000, and has been providing world-class construction-related courses ever since.
With highly-regarded courses, this partnership provides a “fly-in” model of teaching, delivering lectures in English and Chinese to provide students with the knowledge and expertise of both world-class universities.
University Alumna Appointed Pro-Chancellor
Sandra Wallace, CBE, joint managing director for UK and Europe of the global law firm DLA Piper and interim co-chair of the government’s Social Mobility Commission, has been appointed Pro-Chancellor at the University of Wolverhampton.
Sandra, the first of her family of six to attend university, graduated with a University of Wolverhampton law degree. She is well-known for her determination for bringing better social mobility to the legal sector,
as well as helping people from less privileged socio-economic backgrounds succeed.
She said: “I am thrilled and humbled to be honoured with this role for my University. I always say that the University of Wolverhampton was truly where my educational life and subsequent career began: a place that accepted, encouraged, and inspired me.”
Government Minister Visits National Brownfield Institute
The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and
Communities, visited the University of Wolverhampton’s Springfield Campus and toured the recently completed £17.5 million National Brownfield Institute.
This flagship initiative is backed by central and local government to transform the construction and housing sectors, informing and guiding future strategy development around brownfield regeneration.
Professor Ian G Campbell, Interim Vice-Chancellor of the University, said: “We were delighted to welcome the Secretary of State to our new National Brownfield Institute so soon after the completion of building works. Wolverhampton is a beacon of construction and regeneration excellence and this new flagship initiative will transform the future of sustainable housing and the circular economy."
Alumna Meets Prince Charles to Showcase Self-Start Business
Alumna and mother-of-one Ruth Lue-Quee showcased her home-schooling activity card business to Prince Charles after finding entrepreneurial success during the pandemic.
During her maternity leave through lockdown, deputy head teacher Ruth decided to use her teaching knowledge and passion for parenting to help parents who have found themselves having to help educate their youngsters while they were sequestered at home.
Her business, called My Mummy Teacher, offers a range of products to help children learn through play.
Ruth said: “I realised I could help empower more parents and professionals to help their children learn through play and the excitement, buzz, and drive to start up the business began. I just went for it and so far it has been the best decision I have ever made.”
Leading Researcher Named President of Professional Body
Dr Opinderjit Kaur Takhar MBE, Director of the University’s Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies, has been named President of Theology and Religious Studies UK (TRS-UK). She is the first person of colour to be appointed and the first woman for a number of years.
TRS-UK represents, supports, and promotes teaching and research in religion and theology in higher education throughout the UK.
Dr Takhar said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have been appointed President of the TRS-UK. In my new role, I will be addressing issues around attitudes towards the discipline from school level through to studying religion and theology at higher education.”
Pollution Link to Dementia
A team of University of Wolverhampton academics has demonstrated that the risk of dementia significantly increases with exposure to air pollution.
Study leader Professor Ruoling Chen, Professor of Public Health and Medical Statistics at the University of Wolverhampton,
and his team conducted a cohort study of 6,115 people aged 60 years and over living in Zheijiang province, China, interviewing them in 2014 and following up in 2019.
The study found that the risk of Alzheimer’s disease increased with exposure to PM2.5 fine particulate matter, PM10, and carbon monoxide.
Paramedic Graduate Scoops Top Ambulance Award
A University of Wolverhampton Paramedic Science graduate has received an award for his exceptional commitment to learning and his excellent grades.
Will Matthews, 22 from Gloucester, was named Outstanding Direct Entry Student Paramedic of the Year by West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS).
Will said: “When I heard that I’d won the award I just sat smiling and couldn’t believe it – especially considering how competitive these awards are locally.”
"I really loved the Paramedic Science course. It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done, but I put myself forward for all kinds of things, helping out in lectures and mentoring other students."
New Cyber Building Officially Opened
The new £9 million Cyber Quarter – Midlands Centre for Cyber Security officially opened in December 2021. The centre is a joint venture between the University of Wolverhampton and Herefordshire Council, and is based at Skylon Park on the Herefordshire Enterprise Zone.
Minister for Media, Data and Digital Infrastructure, Julia Lopez, said: “This new state-of-the-art centre will be a fantastic addition to the country’s booming cybersecurity industry and offer businesses the support they need to take their ideas to the next level. Growing and developing the UK’s technology sector is a crucial part of our mission to level up and we are backing firms with pro-innovation policies and supporting people to get the skills to succeed.”
