Author: Laura Jones

Bomber County’s iconic Vulcan Bomber will return to the skies over Lincolnshire this weekend (11th– 12th August) in an augmented reality app as part of the city of Lincoln’s RAF100 celebrations.

In addition to the various activities taking place, which will include aviation displays and a fireworks display on the Brayford, those celebrating the RAF’s centenary will now also be able to witness the legendary aircraft in action wherever they are using the newly launched RAF100Flypast app.

The Vulcan is the latest aircraft to be added to the app which allows users to create their own flypasts, capture and collect aircraft, view them in scaled augmented reality, and learn more about their technical specifications and history. The Buccaneer, Canberra and Lightning F1 are also being added.

The RAF created the free to download app in a military first this summer, working in partnership with the University of Lincoln’s School of Design, School of Computer Science and Lincoln International Business School to bring the realistic 3D planes to life.

Working collaboratively, academics from across the schools came together to develop the concept, game mechanics and design. They were supported by students from the schools who gained valuable experience in helping to come up with ideas, developing prototypes for user experiences and collating historical information.

Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln, Julian Free, said: “The iconic Vulcan has long been associated with Bomber County and it’s wonderful that this app will now allow people to enjoy seeing it in the skies once more.

“The team at Lincoln has combined their respective expertise to deliver a first class product for the RAF, and the project demonstrates the University’s commitment to its Student as Producer ethos, engaging students in real-world briefs.

“The app has been a fantastic collaborative project between the University of Lincoln, the RAF, and Harmony Studios, driven by the ideas and creative designs of our academics and students as part of their courses. It is a great example of how younger audiences can be engaged with through the use of digital heritage, augmented reality and hand-held devices.”
Lydia Rusling, Chief Executive of Visit Lincoln, said: “RAF100 Weekend is one of the biggest events for the region this summer. Visitors will experience an unforgettable programme of events, with activities in 13 different parts of Lincoln from the Cathedral down to the Brayford Waterfront. Lincoln’s uphill will be transformed for the popular 1940s weekend, re-enactments will be taking place across the city, along with music, markets and plenty to see and do for the family. To have the addition of University’s augmented reality app, alongside flypasts over the weekend, is the icing on the cake and will be an exciting and innovative addition.”

Air Commodore Chris Jones added: “The RAF100Flypast app allows users to experience the wonders of RAF aircraft in augmented reality, which is really exciting. The app is a fun way to showcase how the RAF has grown through innovation and technology, and we hope it will inspire the next generation of aerospace pioneers. Users are able to collect planes and find out about their history through the app, as well as being able to create their own flypasts. With the Vulcan now added to the app alongside the Red Arrows, Typhoon, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and Sentry, we hope there are plenty of favourites to get the young and old of Lincolnshire excited.”

The RAF100Flypast app is free to download from the App Store and Google Play.

To find out more about Visit Lincoln’s RAF100 Weekend, visit www.lincoln.com/whats-on/raf-100-weekend.

The University of Lincoln and The Guardian have teamed up to launch an innovative new Master’s course for aspiring authors to gain unique insight into the publishing business from a line-up of acclaimed novelists, journalists, editors and other industry professionals.

The MA Creative Writing and Publishing is a joint offering between The Guardian, one of the world’s leading news media organisations, and the University of Lincoln, one of the UK’s fastest-rising universities recognised for its award-winning approach to industry collaboration.

The new course, which launches in October 2018, will connect students with acclaimed authors, Guardian editorial staff and other publishing industry professionals from a range of genres through workshops, readings and masterclasses. Guest lecturers include art historian Andrew Graham Dixon, Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, naturalist Chris Packham, Guardian Associate Editor (Culture) Claire Armitstead, freelance writer Stuart Heritage, and interviewer Decca Aitkenhead.

Students will be supported by an academic coach and gain critical feedback to develop their writing and understanding of the nature of the modern publishing industry.

Professor Mary Stuart, Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln, said: “We are delighted to launch this exciting new Master’s course with The Guardian, one of the world’s best known and most trusted news organisations.

“At Lincoln we are proud of our record of meeting industry needs and this course recognises that the publishing industry, like many others, must adapt to rapid changes in technology and consumer habits.

“This fusion of academia and creativity with real-world publishing knowledge draws on the wealth of expertise available at both The Guardian and the University Lincoln to present a genuinely innovative new type of Master’s programme.”

Michael Harris, Director at Guardian Live, said: “This exciting new partnership offers the combined expertise of Lincoln’s academic body with The Guardian’s acclaimed Masterclasses programme.

“By harnessing the expertise and specialisms within the organisation, as well as drawing on the skills and expertise of other leading figures at the forefront of their industries, we aim to complement and where possible, enrich the content of the academic programme. Teaching will include sessions based in our central London training space, located within the Guardian’s own headquarters.”

The course is open to full-time applicants from the UK and EU only. Teaching takes place between October 2018 and July 2019 over 20 intensive days, hosted alternately at the Guardian offices in central London (near King’s Cross) and at the University of Lincoln’s main Brayford Pool campus in central Lincoln. Master’s students will also complete a supervised final project.

Eligible applicants may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan of up to £10,609 to help with course fees and other costs, such as travel and accommodation.

Applications for October 2018 entry are open now and can be made through the University of Lincoln’s online application form. To find out more visit www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/course/CRWPUBMA/

A new award designed to help develop high-level technical skills in the next generation of engineers has been launched by global industry leaders Siemens in partnership with the University of Lincoln.

The Siemens Postgraduate Engineering Award will cover the full tuition fee amount for the successful student to complete the one year taught Master’s degree in either Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Management, or the one year MSc by Research Engineering at the University of Lincoln.

The scholarship is open to Home, EU or International students who hold an offer to study one of these postgraduate programmes in the University’s School of Engineering in September 2018.

The award is the latest offering from Siemens, who already provide a generous range of scholarship and bursaries for undergraduate Engineering students at Lincoln. In addition to the monetary value of the award, the award also offers the possibility of a graduate position with the Siemens following the successful completion of the programme.

The University is well-known for its pioneering approach to working with employers, something which has been acknowledged through a series of national awards and accolades including a Lord Stafford Award and a Times Higher Education Award, and this scholarship is the latest development in its close partnership with Siemens.

Working in collaboration with the industry company, the institution established the first dedicated new engineering school to be created in the UK for more than two decades in 2009, investing heavily in the recently opened £28m Isaac Newton Building which provides state-of-the-art facilities for the School.

The University is also one of only a handful of top UK universities to hold Siemens Global Principal Partner status, recognising the University’s wide-ranging research collaborations and success in developing graduate talent with Siemens.

Professor Mary Stuart, Vice Chancellor at the University of Lincoln, said: “At Lincoln we are proud of our innovative industry-engaged approach to learning, delivering the skills industry needs while ensuring our students benefit from the connections we make.

“Our special partnership with Siemens is recognised nationally as a blueprint for how academia and industry can work together to drive education, innovation and economic growth, and scholarships like this help to enhance the higher education experience. We are grateful to Siemens for its continued support in helping us to raise the bar for some of the best emerging engineering talent.”

Applications for the award should be submitted by Monday 20th August.

For more information, including the full list of terms and conditions and the application form, please go to: https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/scholarshipsandbursaries/.

Intelligent software that can automatically detect system faults in industrial machines is being developed by researchers in a bid to assist current support engineers and plug an expanding skills gap in the engineering industry.

The EVES (Evolutionary Virtual Expert System) project will see the design and development of an automated fault diagnostic system integrated into an industrial data platform, assisting engineers by speeding up communication responses and feedback of incoming site data.

The system is being created by researchers at the University of Lincoln in partnership with Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery Ltd, thanks to a First Investigator Award of almost £100,000 from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Using data provided by the industrial partner, the team at Lincoln will develop software to detect failures in gas turbines, using a combination of expert systems which have the ability to acquire experience, and other artificial intelligence techniques.

The systems will begin as ‘virtual apprentices’ who will be trained by human engineers through coaching, examining and refining processes until they are ready to be promoted to the ‘virtual experts’.

The virtual experts will ‘learn’ to make sound judgements, integrating the strengths of precision, learning ability, adaptability and knowledge sharing with other systems, matching and even outperforming human experts working without such support.

The project will be led by Dr Yu Zhang, from the University’s School of Engineering who specialises in intelligent industrial systems.

Dr Zhang said: “There are many well-known fault diagnostic systems in the field, but often they operate at a less practical level and work more individually.

“This project represents a first attempt at delivering an integrated automated fault diagnostic system for industrial applications using information extracted from all available algorithms and models of the mechanical system, together with critiques from human engineers.”

While this project looks specifically at faults in the gas turbines, it is hoped the technology could be applied more widely to all fault diagnostic systems, including those found in power plants, military weapons, the health service, and natural disaster monitoring.

The research will have important implications for many UK industries which are facing future skills gaps.

When the project is complete the virtual experts will be able to provide critical support for human engineers and, with further development, could go on to act as trainers for younger workers entering the profession. This will become increasingly important as the uptake of more modern technologies in the workplace lead to longer learning curves for young engineers.

The project will begin in September 2018 and run for 12 months.

Students have rated the University of Lincoln among the best in the country for overall student satisfaction in the latest National Student Survey (NSS), placing it at 8th in the UK.

Results of this year’s NSS were published today (27th July 2018) and rank the University in the 93rd per cent of 127 institutions.

The NSS results measure how satisfied students are with their course, academic support, the institution’s community and having their views listened to. This latest success follows on from the ranking in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2019 earlier this year. The institution, which has invested more than £300 million in its campus and facilities over the past two decades, was also rated TEF Gold – the highest standard possible – in a national independent assessment of teaching quality in higher education in 2017.

Professor Mary Stuart, Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln, said: “The student experience is at the heart of everything we do at Lincoln and we are delighted to see our hard work reflected in today’s results. Our academic and professional service staff excel at shaping our students into confident, articulate graduates through robust support during the challenge of their undergraduate degree studies.

“They do this by making sure that the student voice is one of the loudest on campus; we engage with them on everything from teaching to the development of our institution, because we understand that we have a responsibility to meet their expectations and invest in their success. These results are testament to how valued our students find their time at Lincoln, and would like to thank them and our staff, for everything they do to make the University of Lincoln such a fantastic and successful institution.”

The NSS is completed by final year undergraduate students, and is commissioned by the Office for Students (OfS), formerly the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The survey, carried out by Ipsos MORI, requires students to answer 27 questions relating to eight aspects of the student experience. It runs across all publicly funded Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

To view the full results, visit: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/.

As part of the Student Research Scheme, student Yasmin Samuel is carrying out research into how choice of academic course can affect a student’s engagement in extracurricular activities.

The research aims to improve the ways in which students can fully engage in their academic studies while also engaging in extracurricular activities, particularly those of the Students’ Union.

All University of Lincoln students are invited to complete a short survey about their involvement in extracurricular activities during their time at university.

The survey will only take around three to five minutes to complete. If you’d like to take part, please click here.

If you have any questions about the research or survey, please email Yasmin at mailto:17637981@students.lincoln.ac.uk.

 

The University of Lincoln has risen to its highest ever position in The Guardian University Guide 2019, published today (29th May 2018).

The institution has risen 25 places to 22nd in the national league table, driven by its success in student satisfaction and an impressive student continuation rate.

This latest success follows a rise to 43rd position in the Complete University Guide, published in April, which saw the University ranked in the top 10 for subjects in Hospitality, Leisure, Recreation and Tourism. The University has also been rated TEF Gold – the highest standard possible – in a national independent assessment of teaching quality in higher education.

Professor Mary Stuart, Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln, said: “I am enormously proud of our University community and am grateful to all staff and students for the contribution they have made to our success.

“Students are at the heart of everything we do at Lincoln, and it is always gratifying that the hard work we put in to creating the best possible student experience is reflected in prestigious league tables which help prospective students make their choice about their future.”

The Guardian University Guide 2019 was published today for undergraduates choosing courses for 2019 entry. The guide, produced by Intelligent Metrix, ranks universities according to: spending per student; student/staff ratio; graduate career prospects; entry requirements; a value-added score; continuation rates; and student satisfaction, based on results from the annual National Student Survey (NSS).

View The Guardian University Guide 2019 at: https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2018/may/29/university-league-tables-2019.

From building new sustainable structures for community use to exploring advanced methods of waste disposal to tackle the world’s plastic problem – two students will pursue studies focussed on a more sustainable future after securing prestigious travel scholarships.

The scholarships of £2,500 each have been awarded to third year University of Lincoln Architecture student Tiffany Worrall and second year Product Design student Bethany Meehan.

The John Roberts Scholarship, named after the internationally recognised Lincoln architect, is awarded every two years and was established to encourage young people pursuing a career in the arts, architecture and design to engage with and experience other cultures.

The scholarships, which are overseen by the Lincolnshire Branch of the English Speaking Union (ESU), are open to all those born in Lincolnshire or studying in Lincolnshire schools, universities and other educational establishments.

Tiffany Worrall, aged 22 from Comberton in Cambridgeshire, will travel to Bali where she will learn more about the ‘pop-up Architecture’ which is being used to provide shelter for refugees and victims of natural disasters. She will also be involved in the restoration of historic buildings, securing their use for future generations.

“I am fascinated with Hindu temple architecture as well as the humanitarian side of architecture,” said Tiffany, who will begin her travels this June.

“I chose to travel to Bali because I am half Indonesian and can speak the language. During my trip I will be working and volunteering for a company called Green Lion doing construction and renovation work for the local people to support building new sustainable structures for community use. We will also renovate existing community buildings, Hindu temples, and improve local infrastructure.

“These projects are undertaken to support the developmental goals of schools, orphanages, community centres and recreational facilities. I will be able to give something back to the English Speaking Union by sharing what we have achieved over there, which can in turn help to promote and encourage other students to strive for what they believe in and to be proactive.

“I would like to thank the English Speaking Union for this invaluable opportunity that will allow me to further my education.”

Tiffany submitted her own illustrations of Bali architecture to support her submission for the scholarship and these drawings, along with those she creates while in Bali, will form an exhibition when she returns to Lincoln.

Bethany Meehan, aged 20 from Much Wenlock in Shropshire, will travel to the Netherlands and Denmark where she will spend a month learning more about the country’s advanced waste disposal methods.

Bethany will also attend a sustainability festival and conduct a study into the design of materials that could be used as plastic alternatives, the results of which will be used to inform her final year dissertation project.

Bethany said: “I feel very privileged to have been given this award and I am so grateful for the support of the English Speaking Union. I am very excited at the prospect of furthering my studies through this trip.”

Sir Michael Graydon, Chairman of the Lincolnshire Branch of the English Speaking Union, said: “Both Tiffany and Beth had thought deeply about their application, were highly motivated, and interviewed very well. Giles Walter and I were in no doubt that they both deserved an award and John Roberts who was consulted was in total agreement.”

The worlds of business, fashion, art and design will collide in a celebration of all things creative as the Festival of Creativity returns to the city of Lincoln today (21st May 2018).

The festival will feature a range of shows, exhibitions and one-off events for everyone from babies and toddlers to business leaders, shining a light on creativity and encouraging visitors to ask the question, ‘What does creativity mean to me?’

The festival will run from Monday 21st May until Friday 1st June and is underpinned by the next generation of creative talent emerging from the University of Lincoln’s College of Arts, who are showcasing their work in their respective end-of-year degree shows.

The wide range of events taking place in various locations throughout the city offer something for everyone to enjoy.

Festival highlights include:

• Creativity… Reimagined! – A workshop for business leaders providing insight into how creativity can help bring greater success and renewed energy to their business.
• Creative Impulses – An evening of performance poetry led by the Outspoken Poets, the leading group of poets guiding the poetry scene in Lincoln.
• Lincolnshire Young Designer of the Year 2018 – A competition celebrating the creativity and innovation of students from Lincolnshire secondary schools.
• JELLY: Street Fashion – A fashion collection printed and stitched on the streets of Lincoln and Guangzhou in China.
• Lil’ Pacs – A fun and creative play session for parents and toddlers at Lincoln Performing Arts Centre.

Professor Matthew Cragoe, Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Arts at the University of Lincoln, said: “This year’s festival builds on the success of its inaugural year in 2017, offering an even wider range of events and activities for visitors of all ages and interests.

“The festival celebrates the talent and success of our students and, just as importantly, it feeds into a wider debate about the importance of the arts in contemporary society. It has been designed to inspire and delight, but above all to be provocative and challenging, and I hope we will see people joining us from all over the county to engage, explore and imagine.”

The festival includes impressive displays from more than 20 programmes across the College of Arts, including Product Design, Animation, Conservation of Cultural Heritage, Music, and Fine Art.

Find out more about the Festival of Creativity 2018, including a full timetable of all the events and displays, at www.lincolnfestivalofcreativity.co.uk.