4 QMYOU / News in Brief
NEWS IN BRIEF
QMU is joint 5th amongst Scottish universities for graduate employment
QMU ’ s graduate employment rate is 93.8 % - that puts QMU in joint 5th place out of 17 Higher Education institutions in Scotland . It also means that QMU has the joint 22nd highest score in the UK , out of 151 institutions .
The performance indicators published by HESA show that 93.8 % of QMU graduates go onto work or further study within six months of graduating .
Having improved its performance since last year ( 90.9 % in 2012 ) and outperformed its benchmark this year , QMU ’ s current graduate employment rate is above the Scottish average of 92.8 % and above the UK average of 90.8 %.
Governance was hot topic at communications conference
PUBLIC RELATIONS EXPERTS at QMU hosted a prestigious international communications conference which debated the topical issue of governance . The June event brought together PR and communication academics from all over the world .
The University ’ s Centre for Dialogue hosted this pre-conference to the International Communication Association ( ICA ) conference that took place in London . The two-part pre-conference focused on three themes — stakeholder engagement , dialogue , and corporate social responsibility . However , it was the conference ’ s emphasis on governance that had mass appeal for communication delegates .
Dr Magda Pieczka , co-chair of the Centre for Dialogue and Reader in Public Relations at QMU , said : “ Governance , or the act of governing , is a hot topic right now and one which requires significant attention from governments as well as public , private and voluntary organisations . Our pre-
4 QMYOU / News in Brief
conference event investigated governance , focusing on the role communication expertise and practices play in the way governance is constructed and enacted by government and business organisations .”
Dr Pieczka concluded : “ Our success in winning the bid to run the pre-conference is testament to the University ’ s expertise in dialogue . We hope that this pre-conference assisted in advancing the subject of Public Relations as an important developing academic subject .” ❒
Award-winning cook highlights the natural wonders of Scotland
AWARD-WINNING COOK and food writer , Lady Claire Macdonald , highlighted the dynamism of Scotland ’ s entrepreneurial food producers in her presentation which was part of the ‘ Edinburgh Lectures ’ series .
In her QMU sponsored lecture , ‘ The Natural Wonders of Scotland ’ s Culinary Landscape ’, Lady Claire drew attention to many different small food producers which are helping to revolutionise modern Scottish cooking by creating exquisite produce , experimenting with preparation methods to appeal to international markets , and pushing the boundaries of service delivery . She believes all of these activities are positively influencing Scotland ’ s growing reputation for culinary excellence .
Feedback from Lady ’ s Claire ’ s lecture was outstanding . The event , which chimed well with QMU ’ s specialist work in food and drink , was a sell-out which confirmed Lady Claire ’ s popularity as a food specialist as well as people ’ s growing interest in Scotland ’ s developing food culture . ❒
Lead role in Irn Bru advert
JAMES ROTTGER , QMU acting graduate , 2012 , is appearing in the lead role in the new Irn Bru advert . He has also appeared in the most recent series of Gary Tank Commander . ❒
Top Scottish chef gets digging in QMU allotment
NEIL FORBES , who was named Scottish Chef of the Year at the acclaimed Scottish Restaurant Awards 2011 , has an allotment at QMU . Neil , who is Chef Director at Café St Honoré in Edinburgh , prides himself on using ingredients sourced locally . He is also a supporter of the ‘ Slow Food ’ philosophy . Neil hopes to use his QMU allotment to teach students about horticulture and food production . Neil is a great supporter of QMU projects . He recently conducted a cookery demonstration which kicked off the first round of events for QMU ’ s Good Food Society . His talk , ‘ Smart Cooking ’ went down a storm with the students . His cooking skills also took centre stage at QMU ’ s first major alumni reunion ‘ Connect 2013 ’. ❒
Bronze Athena Swan Award
QMU HAS GAINED a Bronze Athena SWAN Award in light of its commitment to assisting the recruitment and retention of women in science , engineering and technology ( SET ). The Athena SWAN Charter is a recognition scheme for UK universities and their science , engineering and technology ( SET ) departments . It aims to assist the recruitment , retention and progression of women in SET . ❒
Long strides for Allan
QMU STUDENT , Allan Hamilton , who missed the recent British Universities Championships due to exams , bounced back to win his first significant outdoor competition of the season when he won the long jump in the British League Premier Division match at Cardiff . ❒