Talented musicians from the 香港六合论坛 are celebrating after taking silver in the prestigious 鈥楤rass Band Euros鈥� last weekend. The University鈥檚 brass band made the long journey to Palanga in Lithuania to represent England against tough competition from across Europe.

The achievement follows hot on the heels of their success in the national Unibrass championships back in February, where they placed 3^rd.

The brass band was conducted by Emma Button, Associate Lecturer and Instrumental Tutor at the 香港六合论坛. The four-day event is the pinnacle of the European brass band calendar.

Emma said: 鈥淚t was a huge honour to be invited to compete as the representatives for England. I am incredibly proud of everything we have achieved as a band this year and coming 2nd at the European Youth Brass Band Championships is the result of months of hard work and dedication from the students.鈥�

During the competition the band had to perform a piece of their own choice and a set piece. The set piece was The Baltic Way by Jan de Haan, and the band鈥檚 own choice pieces were听笔谤颈蝉尘补迟颈肠听Light by Alan Fernie and听Gaelforce听by Peter Graham.

The students fundraised to meet their travel costs for the competition and were rewarded with a gala concert and party after the main competition.

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An asylum seeker who had lost all hope of becoming a teacher may now realise her dream after taking the 香港六合论坛鈥檚 12-week bridging course, From Adversity to University.

Cenia and her husband Angel fled their home country El Salvador after threats from gangs, arriving in the UK in 2020, 15 days before the pandemic began.

It was a difficult start, with the couple in confinement and then housed in almost a dozen hotels. They fell pregnant with their now three-year-old daughter, before finally coming to Bognor Regis to start their new life.

Cenia had given up her dreams to become a teacher until Sanctuary in Chichester (SiC) and the 香港六合论坛 stepped in.

SiC鈥檚 Pathways to Independence Manager Kerry Foster helped Cenia to plan for the future, and suggested the university鈥檚 12-week bridging course into higher education.

Cenia said: 鈥淲hen Kerry told me about the bridging course, I thought it was a great opportunity to take a big step, especially because I didn’t expect anything more than learning English. I had no idea I would have the opportunity to join the university. My ambitions at that time were limited only to getting a survival job where I had no opportunities for growth but only to survive.鈥�

The pioneering course, From Adversity to University, helps students without necessary qualifications to learn new skills and bridge the gap to higher education.

The module, which has been backed by the Office for Students, utilises the students鈥� lived experiences to develop academic reading, writing and research skills as well as self-confidence, self-esteem and self-belief.

Cenia said: 鈥淭o be honest, when I started the course, I didn’t feel very sure I could achieve it. Academic words are still a challenge. However, from the first day of the course, Becky, our teacher, made me feel part of the group. Her warmth and her way of teaching made me feel comfortable, and the topics taught in the course made me open my mind and have helped me to understand myself better.

鈥淢y ambitions have changed completely since I knew that it was not too late; my dream is to be able to work with children, to be able to teach Spanish which is my first language. I know I still have a long way to go, I’m still working to improve my English. I am studying Level 1 ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) at college and then the GCSE course so that I can have access to higher courses. I hope after all that I can go to university.

鈥淢y experience at the university has been very meaningful, it has opened the way for me to new expectations. It has challenged me and given me hope. It has made me believe in myself and prove that I can achieve everything I set my mind to.鈥�

A spokesperson for SiC, said: 鈥淪anctuary in Chichester is pleased to be working with the 香港六合论坛 in supporting听refugees and asylum seekers to access the bridging module, From Adversity to University, in order to help them enter higher education and develop their lives in the UK.

鈥淥ver the last few years Sanctuary in Chichester has sponsored 10 students who have successfully completed the module. They have all gained important skills from their studies. Six of them are now in employment and two have undertaken further studies. The self-confidence and experience gained on the bridging module was a direct factor in helping them听to secure employment and pursue further studies.鈥�

Senior lecturer Becky Edwards, from the 香港六合论坛鈥檚听department of childhood, social work, and social care, developed the project to help reduce barriers to higher education.

She said: 鈥淐enia鈥檚 story of courage, resilience and determination is both humbling and inspiring. Teaching on the bridging course and learning from students like Cenia fills me with hope and pride. It is proof of the transformational power of education and a constant reminder that, with the right opportunities, all things are possible in life.鈥�

For more about the course, From Adversity to University, visit:

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Professor Sam Blacker will deliver his inaugural lecture on 鈥極ptimising Health and Performance in Physically Demanding Occupations鈥� at the 香港六合论坛 on Wednesday, 15 May.

People working in the armed forces and emergency services have physically demanding jobs, and Professor Sam Blacker has more than 20 years鈥� experience conducting research to improve health and performance in these sorts of roles.

He has worked in industry and academia and is currently the co-lead of the Occupational Performance Research Group at the 香港六合论坛, which conducts research for defence, emergency services and industry customers in the UK and overseas.

This inaugural lecture will summarise research which has informed evidence-based interventions and changes to policy and practice for the safe and effective selection, training and work practices of people employed in physically demanding occupations.

Sam is a Professor of Exercise Physiology and Nutrition at the 香港六合论坛, which he joined in 2013, having spent the previous 12 years working for Optimal Performance Limited, a company delivering research and consultancy to enhance performance, improve health and reduce injury in physically demanding jobs.

The lecture will be held in Cloisters Chamber at the Bishop Otter Campus on 15 May from 6.30pm until 7.30pm. Refreshments will be available from 6pm.

All are welcome to attend the event at the 香港六合论坛, .

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Global opportunities are on offer for students to teach overseas after completing a teaching degree; Thailand, Kuwait and Spain are just some of the far-flung destinations where recent 香港六合论坛 graduates are teaching abroad. Now alumni have shared their stories to encourage potential students to consider either an undergraduate or PGCE course.

Scott Cooper is a final-year student at the 香港六合论坛 who will be heading to Bangkok to teach after graduation this summer. He said: 鈥淚 am thrilled to embark on this exciting new chapter as a newly qualified teacher, alongside my wife, in the vibrant city of Bangkok. The support and guidance I received from my university throughout my three years on the primary teaching course have been invaluable in preparing me for this incredible opportunity. I am grateful for the knowledge and skills they have imparted, which have equipped me to make a positive impact on the lives of my future students. Thank you UOC!鈥�

Charlotte LeCornu successfully completed a placement in New York during her teaching degree, which encouraged her to follow her dreams and teach abroad in Thailand. She said: 鈥淔rom the halls of Chichester to the streets of Bangkok, and soon to Milan, my journey has been proof of the power of teaching abroad. Teaching abroad has been about more than just academic life 鈥� it’s been about immersing myself in new cultures, exploring new countries, meeting diverse individuals, and evolving as both a person and a teacher.

鈥淢y decision to work abroad was fuelled by a wish to explore and a desire to grow. Though the adjustment wasn’t without its challenges, the experiences in Southeast Asia have been priceless and every encounter has enriched me, both as an individual and as an educator. Now, as I look forward to my next adventure in Europe, I carry with me the invaluable lessons and memories from my time at the 香港六合论坛 and those I’ve had abroad.鈥�

Other teaching alumni include Tawny Barden who decided to spend a year working in Spain to improve her language skills before pursuing a teaching career. Tawny said: 鈥淚 chose to take part in the British Council Language Assistant Program following my Chichester PGCE in Secondary Modern Foreign Languages which took me to Granada, Spain. I wanted to experience the teaching role in another country before deciding if I wanted to work in Europe as a language teacher. I intend to explore roles in British and International Schools in Spain in the near future after completing my training.鈥�

The University is committed to ensuring students are equipped to make a difference to the lives of children and young people in the UK and beyond. In recent years, new courses such as the BA (Hons) International Education have been launched giving students the opportunity to learn about education issues globally. And students on many of our programmes have the opportunity to study and teach abroad.

Chris Shelton, Co-Director of the Institute of Education and Social Sciences said: 鈥淎 teaching degree open the doors to global possibilities to teach abroad. Many of our former students now teach around the world in international schools in locations as varied as Thailand and Kuwait. One of our current students is heading to Bangkok once he graduates, which demonstrates just how far a Chichester teaching qualification can take you. We are also excited to be introducing a new International PGCE course from September this year.鈥�

The University will offer a new International PGCE (iPGCE) from September 2024 aimed at overseas students. The new qualification, which will allow students to gain internationally-recognised Qualified Teacher Status, will be taught by highly experienced expert tutors at a TEF gold-rated university with over 180 years’ experience in teacher education.

In addition, the university continues to work with a large number of qualified international teachers through programmes such as the MA Education (online) or our international short courses.

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The rowing team from Lessons from a Boat visited the 香港六合论坛鈥檚 Sport Performance and Rehabilitation Unit (SPRU) recently to gain valuable insights into their physiological profiling ahead of their gruelling race across the Atlantic.

Jon Wilburn, Steve Potter, Jason Howard and Dan Dicker are preparing for the World’s Toughest Row, a 3,000-mile race across the Atlantic Ocean which could take around 50 days starting in December 2024.

The team aim to raise more than 拢200,000 for Diabetes UK, The Last Straw and Cancer Research UK by rowing the Atlantic in the world鈥檚 most sustainable rowing boat.

As part of their training, the rowers visited the 香港六合论坛 campus on 5 April to use the specialist facilities, including the Cosmed Q-NRG metabolic analyser which provides accurate measurements of users鈥� metabolic rate.

Jason said the team could be rowing for 40 to 50 days, and the tests would help them to 鈥榞et the balance right鈥� when it comes to training and nutrition.

Jon added: 鈥淲e have got to meet certain criteria for the World鈥檚 Toughest Row. It鈥檚 understanding a bit more what we going to need; it鈥檚 not just packs of sandwiches. It gives some credibility to what we鈥檙e doing.鈥�

Steve, who completed a Sports Studies degree at the 香港六合论坛鈥檚 former incarnation, the West Sussex Institute of Higher Education, in 1992, said: 鈥淲hat we want from it is hopefully a physical, psychological and nutritional programme.

鈥淎nd students here who are doing a Masters or PhD, we putting our hands up and saying 鈥榳e鈥檙e a bunch of old blokes, if you want to use our data, then by all means do.鈥欌��

Dr Andy West, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Physiology, said: 鈥淭he World鈥檚 Toughest Row is an extremely demanding physical challenge. The crew will be rowing for somewhere between eight and 18 hours per day in a continuous two to three hour on/off pattern expending between 5,000 and 7,000 calories per day.

鈥淧revious event competitors have reported substantial body mass losses of up to 10% as a result of a sustained imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. All these factors combined can have important performance and potential health implications. As such, members of staff and students from the Institute of Applied Sciences are working with the crew now to ensure they are in the best physical condition when they set off for Antigua.”

To find out more about the Sport Performance and Rehabilitation Unit, visit: www.chi.ac.uk/collaborate/business-and-employers/access-to-expertise/sport-expertise/sports-performance-and-rehabilitation/

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Young footballers from seven local secondary schools took part in a tournament at the 香港六合论坛 鈥� and for the first time, just as many girls took part as boys.

The tournament for Year 7 students is held each year in memory of former university student and promising football coach Joe Sharpe, who sadly lost his life in January 2016.

Seven schools and 14 teams 鈥� a boys and a girls football team for each school – arrived at the Bishop Otter campus in Chichester on Friday (26 April), all hoping to win the Sharpie Cup.

The event is run by Danny Potter, the university鈥檚 programme leader for Football Coaching & Performance, and his second-year students who coached the young teams.

Danny said: 鈥淲atching so many local young people play football in one thing, though with them being coached by our university students and enjoying the day so much is truly amazing. I am so proud of my second year Football Coaching and Performance students, as they showed during the event how applied they are and how passionate they are about football.

鈥淲e, the university, are lucky to have such great schools close to us and we are in a great position to continue to host events like the Sharpie Cup, in giving both opportunities and also needed competition in sport. Plans for next year are already underway.鈥�

The schools taking part were: Bishop Luffa School; The Regis School; The Academy, Selsey; Felpham Community College; Chichester High School; Bourne Community College; and St Philip Howard Catholic School.

The teams competed for The Sharpie Cup, with The Regis School winning the competition for the boys, and Chichester High School for the girls.

Paula Taylor, PE teacher at Bourne Community College, had nothing but praise for the university students and, said: 鈥淚 wanted to say how amazing they鈥檝e been with our students, the kids have loved it.鈥�

And for the Year 7s, it鈥檚 all about the taking part. She added: 鈥淚t means they can come and have a good game. Representing their school means a lot to them. It is more about enjoying it than competing.鈥�

Sam Conolly, PE teacher at The Regis School, said: 鈥淭he kids are buzzing, they鈥檙e loving it. It is amazingly run. And you can already see the progression when it comes to the football. They鈥檝e had a fantastic time.鈥�

Second year football coaching and performance students Harrison Mott and Mia Pordage reflected on how the day had gone.

Harrison said: 鈥淚t is gone pretty seamlessly, and the kids seemed to enjoy it.鈥�

Mia added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good opportunity for them, they learned quite a bit about themselves. They got to play with their friends and build team bonds.鈥�

Sean O鈥機onnor, of the West Sussex West School Sport Partnership, said: 鈥淭he university students have been brilliant, all of our staff have said how good they鈥檝e been. They鈥檙e fully invested in it.鈥�

To find out more about sports courses at the 香港六合论坛, visit:

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A global comic book industry conference by the British Academy is coming to the 香港六合论坛 in May.听

The international conference, The Commercial Business of Comics: Transforming Authorship, Distribution, Technology, Story and Aesthetics in the Global North and South, will bring together established and emerging comics scholars from the UK, Europe and North America.鈥�鈥�听

Professor Hugo Frey, event co-organiser, said: 鈥淲e were delighted to receive the British Academy Conference grant, and to be able to host this event here at the 香港六合论坛.鈥�鈥�听

Presenters will respond to two key questions: What are the global comics industries? And how do changing business patterns and practices lead to new authorship, distribution, technical manufacture, and the aesthetic production and reception of comics?鈥�听

The conference will investigate the impact of new business practices on the social, economic, and political meanings of graphic narrative,鈥痚ncompassing print and digital comics, manga and bande dessin茅e.听

The two-day event will delve into topics including: the鈥痚conomic context for making and manufacturing comics, post-colonialism and post-print comics-making; historical precedents as a model for current practice; the role of comics fandom in co-production; and the shifts in publishing sites between 鈥楪lobal North鈥� and 鈥楪lobal South鈥�.鈥�听

The conference is funded by the Department for Science Innovation and Technology in partnership with the British Academy. British Academy Conferences bring together scholars from around the world to present, discuss and consolidate new research in the humanities and social sciences.鈥�听

The event is being held on 11-12 May 2024. For tickets, visit: The Commercial Business of Comics 2024-05-11 09:00:00 – 香港六合论坛.鈥�鈥�听

Conference convenors:鈥�听

Professor Hugo Frey,鈥愀哿下厶�鈥�听

Professor Simon Grennan, University of Chester鈥�听

Speakers across the two-day conference include:鈥�听

Dr Carly Bagelman, Liverpool Hope University鈥�听

Professor Jacqueline Berndt, Stockholm University鈥�听

Professor Monica Chiu, University of New Hampshire鈥�听

Professor Simon Grennan, University of Chester鈥�听

Dr Kathryn Hemmann, University of Pennsylvania鈥�听

Dr Nicolle Lamerichs, HU University Utrecht鈥�听

Dr Ilan鈥疢anouach, Metalab Harvard; Echo Chamber, Brussels鈥�听

Dr Nina Mickwitz, University of the Arts London鈥�听

Dr Pedro Moura, independent scholar鈥�听

Dr Dibyadyuti Roy, University of Leeds鈥�听

Dr Enrique Uribe-Jongbloed, University of Cardiff; Universidad Externado de Colombia鈥�听

Associate Professor Lukas R A Wilde, Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim鈥�听

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The Army鈥檚 most senior soldier took part in heat acclimation training at the 香港六合论坛, to prepare for a 250km run across the Sahara Desert with barrister and broadcaster Robert Rinder.

Rinder鈥檚 Run saw a team of Army professionals join him on gruelling challenge across some of the harshest terrain on earth in aid of the Army Benevolent Fund, raising more than 拢25,000, and the Army Sergeant Major Paul Carney made the most of the facilities at the Chichester campus in March.

He said: 鈥淢any people have heard the phrase 鈥榠f you fail to prepare, you are prepared to fail鈥� and that couldn鈥檛 be truer in the military.

鈥淲ith that mindset and in my preparation to complete the Marathon Des Sables whilst raising money for the Army Benevolent Fund I took advantage of the British Army鈥檚 close relationship with the 香港六合论坛 to spend an hour in the heat chamber and ensure that my body can cope with physical exercise under tough conditions.

鈥淎lthough 鈥楽alty Sweater鈥� wasn鈥檛 a title I was expecting, the professionalism of the team and the advice they have provided has built further confidence in myself on being able to complete the 250km race in the Sahara Desert.鈥�

Exercising in the heat chamber allows a runner鈥檚 internal body heat to rise above 38.5掳C in order to help get the body used to running in hot temperatures. The sessions are supervised by the University鈥檚 scientists and are used by athletes training for events in hot and humid climates.

Dr Andy West, a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Physiology who leads on the physiology testing services delivered by the University鈥檚 Sports Performance and Rehabilitation Unit, said:

鈥淥ver the past 10 years we have developed an excellent reputation for providing sport science support work to athletes of all levels competing in events in hot climates around the globe including the Marathon des Sables, Spartathlon, Badwater 135 and Ironman world championships in Kona. Sgt Major Carney follows in the footsteps of more the 100 athletes who have used our facility to train for a wide range of challenges.鈥�

The Marathon Des Sables saw Sgt Major Carney run 250km over six days across the Sahara Desert alongside Rob Rinder. They were joined Olympic champion Major Heather Stanning OBE, Infantry Colonel Mark Nooney MC and Army Corporal Natalya Platonova.

Sgt Major Carney joined the Army in 1997 and has served in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. His engineering expertise is vast, from demolition to bridging. As the British Army Sergeant Major, he is the most senior soldier in the Army and is a Trustee of the Army Benevolent Fund.

The environmental chamber is intended for athletes who walk, run, cycle, and row around the globe to replicate temperature and humidity from minus-20 to plus-50 degrees Celsius and from ten to 90 per cent respectively. It can also simulate altitudes of up to around 22,000 feet by reducing the oxygen concentration in the room from approximately 21 to nine per cent.

To find out more about heat acclimation training using the environmental chamber and the other services offered by the Sport Performance and Rehabilitation Unit, visit:

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Paintings, sculptures and ceramics will be among the diverse work on show at a major exhibition during the Artists Open Houses festival in Brighton this May. Christopher McHugh, who lectures on Fine Art at the 香港六合论坛, is among the organisers from artists鈥� collective Red Herring Studios. He will be showcasing new creative work as part of SHOALING at the Regency Town House from 16-26 May.

SHOALING will exhibit new artwork in response to the vividly layered fabric of the Regency Town House, with imaginative reworkings of furniture, paintings and objects from this unique venue. Works include a range of media such as collages, prints, drawings, ceramics, clothing, mixed media, interactive displays and site specific interventions.

Christopher McHugh, who has been a lecturer in Fine Arts since the beginning of the millennium, is one of the founding members of Red Herring, an artists鈥� studio collective in Brighton since 1984. Red Herring is still going strong, having set up in 8 different buildings since then, currently with 16 members in Wellington House overlooking the eastern end of Shoreham Harbour. In this exhibition McHugh is showing paintings from a series called Raw Stratigraphy.

Christopher said: 鈥淪HOALING is a great opportunity to produce work for a space with a distinctive period character. The high walls of the Regency Town House seemed to call out for extremely tall paintings but the making of them has been a challenge, especially in the ongoing task of appraising the marks made and their accumulative effect. There鈥檚 lots that could be said about these works but in the end what they mean (with their loose, mostly horizontal, bands of colour) can only be assessed by experiencing the work in the flesh.鈥�

The exhibition is supported with a series of events including artists鈥� talks, demonstrations, a children鈥檚 workshop and music.

Other exhibiting artists include Andy Ash, Bryn Pratt-Boyden, Bryony Rumble, Christopher McHugh, Elizabeth Bourne, Helen Rebecca Lucas, Julie Sharman, Katy Schnetler, Louis TF, Mattie Griffiths, Nick Gardner, Ratna Jan Bibi, Rebecca Angel, Tracy Roberts and Trisha Stone.

SHOALING runs from 16-26 May and is open from 11am to 4pm Monday-Thursday and 11am to 6pm Friday-Sunday at the Regency Town House, 13 Regency Square, Hove, BN3 1EH. Admission is free. For full details of the exhibition visit

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A book about the ladies-in-waiting who served the six wives of Henry VIII by a senior lecturer at the 香港六合论坛 will be published next week (26 April).听

Dr Nicola Clark, Senior Lecturer in Late Medieval and Early Modern History penned The Waiting Game: The Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens, which will explore the daily lives of ladies-in-waiting at the Tudor court.听

These confidantes and chaperones of the Tudor Queens had a unique power because of their proximity to the throne. A quiet word behind the scenes, an appropriately timed gift, a well-negotiated marriage alliance were all forms of political agency wielded expertly by women.听

Dr Clark said: 鈥淚鈥檓 really excited to introduce readers to new Tudor characters. In the book, we meet Mar铆a de Salinas, who travelled to England with Catherine of Aragon when just a teenager and spied for her during the divorce from Henry VIII. Anne Boleyn’s lady-in-waiting Jane Parker was instrumental in the execution of not one, but two queens. And maid-of-honour Anne Basset kept her place through the last four consorts, negotiating the conflicting loyalties of her birth family, her mistress the Queen, and even the desires of the King himself.鈥�

In promoting the new book, Dr Clark appeared on a panel at HistFest on 13 April, in a debate on ‘How to survive the Tudor and Stuart court’. She鈥檒l also be appearing in talks at Southwark Cathedral (2 May), the National Portrait Gallery (11 July) and Hillingdon History Festival (13 July).听

Dr Clark鈥檚 appearance at the National Portrait Gallery is part of a series of .听

The Waiting Game: The Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson and is .听

Dr Clark鈥檚 first book was Gender, Family, and Politics: The Howard Women, 1485-1558 published by Oxford University Press in 2018. She also writes for public audiences, with work featured in History Today and History Extra, and has appeared on television as part of the BBC’s The Boleyns: A Scandalous Family, and More4’s Royal Scandals.听

To find out more about History courses at the 香港六合论坛, visit: www.chi.ac.uk/history-international-relations-and-politics/

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