BMag-2012 - University of Birmingham

4 The Birmingham Magazine
The year in pictures
Money saving tips for students
As part of National Student Money Week (12 to 16 March) the Student Funding Office
held a number of events to show students how saving money can be simple yet make
a big difference. Events included a series of live web chats with funding advisors,
aimed at educating prospective undergraduates on the changes to student finance.
There was also a ‘Taste test’ event with participants tasting both economy and branded
foods, displaying how a change in shopping habits can help your bank balance.
Student Heroes
For the first time students have appeared
in the national marketing campaign
‘Birmingham Heroes’. The campaign
aims to promote the outstanding work
and achievements of the University,
emphasising the impact it has on a national
and international level. The two students
featuring in the campaign are Bryony
Whitten (BSc Biological Sciences, 2012)
and Kushal Rugjee, a BSc Human Biology
undergraduate. Bryony worked at a panda
breeding centre in China, her visit funded
by the University’s work experience scheme.
Kushal spent last summer researching the
cancer gene in Canada.
Where that
Ben went
Alumnus Ben Wallace
(BSc Geography, 2005)
completed the challenge
of visiting all 101 places
in the Time Out London
guide before the start of the
London Olympics. Ben’s
blog about his adventures,
www.wherethatbenwent.
com, has already gained
more than 50,000 visits
from all over the world.
Big Bang Fair
In March, the University lined up next
to other big-hitting organisations in the
Science, Technology, Engineering and
Maths (STEM) community at the Big Bang
Fair 2012 at the National Exhibition Centre.
The fair is the largest annual celebration
of STEM in the UK and is designed to
demonstrate to young people the breadth
of exciting opportunities and careers that
there are in this field. Over the three-day
event staff and students showcased their
research to thousands of youngsters
through several fun science-based activities.
Sporting Showcase event
The University hosted its sporting
showcase on 13 July when a panel
debated the subject ‘Will London 2012
be the first Olympics to deliver a lasting
participatory legacy?’ Led by the Vice-
Chancellor, Professor David Eastwood, the
panel included the Rt Hon Richard Caborn,
Jennie Price, CEO of Sport England, the Rt
Hon Tessa Jowell and alumnus Richard
Horton, Editor of The Lancet.