Ministerial visit shines light on mental
health and entrepreneurship support
R
ICHARD LOCHHEAD MSP, Minister for Further
Education, Higher Education and Science,
recently visited QMU to find out how staff are
dealing with the significantly increased demand for
student mental health support. Whilst touring the
University and meeting staff, QMU Principal Professor
Wend took the opportunity to showcase the University’s
impressive work in promoting British Sign Language
(BSL) education and culture, and its success in
supporting entrepreneurship amongst its students
and graduates.
At QMU’s Business Innovation Zone, which houses Scotland’s
first on-campus Business Gateway, the minister was introduced
to students and graduates who had established their own
businesses. The University is now supporting 36 student and
graduate start-up companies and is fostering a culture of
entrepreneurship. This development signals QMU’s commitment
to innovation-led, inclusive economic growth and alignment with
the Scottish Government’s Economic Strategy and Scotland
CAN DO framework.
The minister talked with several of the young Business
Innovation Zone tenants, including Ross Brydon who discussed
his new business Echo Park Studios and his dynamic new drum
tuition app. The minister was enthusiastic about the idea of the
app, as he has had some experience of drumming in the past.
As you can see from the picture below, both the minister and
Ross enjoyed meeting each other and sharing their drumming
and entrepreneurship stories.
You can read more about QMU’s work in supporting student
entrepreneurship, as well as our developing work in mental
health support and BSL, further on in the magazine. ❒
Children’s health in the spotlight at
national food conference
C
HILDREN AND FAMILY health issues will be the main
focus of a national food conference to be staged by
QMU and Children in Scotland in March 2019.
The conference, which will take place at QMU’s campus, will
focus on the latest research, creative approaches and current
projects aimed at improving food experiences, and the health
and wellbeing of children and their families.
It is particularly timely that this event will take place in the same
year QMU launches a brand new postgraduate course in Home
Economics. The one-year PGDE Secondary (Home Economics)
will equip teachers to tackle contemporary issues facing young
people, including food poverty, obesity, and the impact of poor
diet on health and wellbeing.
Professor Brigid Daniel, Dean of Arts, Social Sciences and
Management at QMU, said: “We’re delighted to be working
in partnership with Children in Scotland to host ‘Biting back:
transforming food experiences for Scotland’s children’ in the
spring of 2019.
“QMU has long been associated with food, nutrition and
social equality dating back to 1875, and issues surrounding
nourishment, health and social justice continue to be a key focus
of our teaching and research today. This event will bring together
experts from across the country to shed light on how we can
tackle serious issues such as food inequality and the impact of
poor health and nutrition on child development.
“We look forward to sharing knowledge and experiences
with different professionals and agencies which aspire to help
Scotland’s young people develop as healthy global citizens.”
The conference, which takes place on Wednesday 20 March,
will hear from practitioners and policy-makers in health, education
and community planning as well as from well-known food experts
— including Chancellor of QMU and judge on ‘The Great British
Bake Off’, Prue Leith, and Joe Fitzpatrick MSP, Minister for Public
Health, Sport and Wellbeing. ❒
QMYOU / News in Brief
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