Sail - Swansea University

The Alumni Office
Singleton Abbey
Swansea University
Singleton Park
Swansea SA2 8PP
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Swansea University’s Alumni
Magazine 2011
www.swansea.ac.uk/alumni
www.swansea.ac.uk/alumni

WELCOME TO SAIL,
YOUR ALUMNI MAGAZINE
03 04
It’s that time of year again when we update you on the many exciting
developments taking place at Swansea University, and give you some
highlights of what your fellow alumni are doing now.
Firstly, congratulations to our 2011 graduates, and best wishes to you
all as you embark on the next stage of your academic or professional
journey. As Alumni of Swansea University you are part of a growing
global network; we hope you stay in touch and send news of where your
course takes you in the coming years.
09
There are challenging times ahead for higher education institutions across
the UK, but you can be confident that Swansea University is pushing
full steam ahead with its commitment to providing an outstanding
student experience, widening access to higher education, delivering
career-enhancing programmes of study, implementing campus
developments, and maintaining its position as a world-class,
research-led institution.
06
We hope you enjoy this new edition of Sail. Your feedback and
suggestions for future issues are welcome, and don’t forget to inform
us of any change of address so we can keep you up-to-date with all the
latest news from Swansea. For further information you can also visit our
Alumni Association web pages.
Best wishes from Swansea!
Sally Thurlow,
Alumni Officer
11
12
Swansea’s Tuition Fee plan:
putting students first
Croeso i Sail, eich
cylchgrawn cyn-fyfyriwr
Adeg honno’r flwyddyn yw hi unwaith eto lle yr ydym yn rhoi’r
wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i chi am y sawl datblygiad cyffrous sy’n
digwydd ym Mhrifysgol Abertawe, ac yn rhoi’r uchafbwyntiau i chi o
ran beth mae eich cyd gyn-fyfyrwyr yn ei wneud ar hyn o bryd.
Yn gyntaf oll, llongyfarchiadau i raddedigion 2011, a dymuniadau
gorau i bob un ohonoch wrth i chi gychwyn ar gam nesaf eich
gyrfaoedd academaidd neu broffesiynol. Fel cyn-fyfyriwr o Brifysgol
Abertawe rydych yn ran o rwydwaith fyd-eang sy’n tyfu drwy’r amser;
rydym yn gobeithio y byddwch yn cadw mewn cysylltiad ac yn
anfon newyddion atom o ble y mae eich cwrs yn eich arwain yn y
blynyddoedd sydd i ddod.
Mae sefydliadau addysg uwch ar draws y DU yn wynebu cyfnod
heriol, ond gallwch fod yn siŵ r bod Prifysgol Abertawe yn mynd yn ei
blaen ar frys gyda’i hymrwymiad i ddarparu profiad myfyriwr rhagorol,
ehangu mynediad i addysg uwch, darparu rhaglenni astudio sy’n gwella
rhagolygon gyrfaol, gweithredu datblygiadau i’r campws, a chynnal ei
safle fel sefydliad o safon fyd-eang a arweinir gan ymchwil.
Gobeithiwn y byddwch yn mwynhau’r rhifyn newydd hwn o Sail.
Croesewir eich adborth a’ch awgrymiadau ar gyfer rhifynnau’r dyfodol,
a pheidiwch ag anghofio rhoi gwybod i ni os ydych yn newid cyfeiriad
fel bod modd i ni roi’r newyddion diweddaraf i gyd i chi o Abertawe.
Am ragor o wybodaeth gallwch hefyd ymweld â thudalennau gwe
Cymdeithas y Cyn-fyfyrwyr.
Cofion gorau o Abertawe!
Sally Thurlow,
Swyddog Cyn-fyfyrwyr
contents
02 Research news
04 Swansea means business
06 Campus transformation on the horizon
08 Supporting Swansea students
09 Swansea students to gain global
experience
10 Academi Hywel Teifi yn hybu’r
iaith Gymraeg yn Abertawe
11 Alumni profile: Penny Roberts
12 Serious about sport!
Students are at the heart of what we do; we know that our
students value the quality of the learning, teaching, and support
they already receive, and we are committed to ensuring that we
continue to invest appropriately in the student learning experience.
Swansea’s Tuition Fee plan
at a glance:
• From 2012, Swansea
University’s tuition fees
will be £9,000 per annum.
• No student will be required to
pay their tuition fee up-front.
• All UK students (including
students from Wales) will be
entitled to a Tuition Fee Loan
paid directly to the University
on the student’s behalf to
cover the fee charged by
their University.
• Students from Wales will have
the fee increase paid by the
Welsh Government wherever
they study in the UK.
• Tuition fee loans will be
deferred until student earnings
exceed £21,000 per annum.
• Swansea University’s package
of support will be worth
£1.1 million in 2012/13,
rising to £4.2 million per
annum by 2015/16, to aid
students from households with
an annual income of less
than £30,000.
Further information about
the University’s Fee Plan can
be found on the website at
www.swansea.ac.uk
RESEARCH AS ART
The cover image shows
a picture mosaic of
Alan Turing.
Alan Turing made some
very influential scientific
contributions leading
to the development of
modern computers and
computer science.
The image, based on an original portrait by
D J Rogers, was submitted by Dr Arnold
Beckmann, Department of Computer Science
for the 2011 Research as Art Competition
and won a runner-up prize.
The mosaic is made up of hundreds of images
reflecting research and activities over recent years
where Swansea University computer scientists
have played a key role and which have some
link to Alan Turing’s work. The pictures, taken
from our public website, range from several
international conferences hosted by Swansea
University, via research activities around the
world, to the people who are forming the
Department of Computer Science.
Next year, 2012, is the centenary of
Alan Turing’s birth.
www.swansea.ac.uk/alumni
Sail – 01

Research news
Upping the anti
Scientists at CERN in Geneva – including
physicists from Swansea University – have
succeeded in trapping antimatter atoms for
over 16 minutes. The ALPHA (Anti-hydrogen
Laser Physics Apparatus) team have created,
trapped, and stored antihydrogen atoms long
enough to begin to study them in detail. It is
the longest time period that antihydrogen has
been captured and a significant development
on the experiment’s major advance last
November, when atoms of antimatter were
trapped for the first time.
Controlled production of antihydrogen atoms
in the laboratory has been possible for nearly
a decade, when CERN’s ATHENA project, the
first experiment to produce copious amounts of
cold antihydrogen, made its first breakthrough.
However, all of these anti-atoms were quickly
annihilated when they came into contact with
matter. This has now changed with the latest
ALPHA breakthrough.
The Swansea team, led by Professor
Mike Charlton, played a major role in
both the ATHENA and ALPHA projects.
Professor Charlton said: “Our aim is to study
antihydrogen, and make detailed comparisons
with ordinary hydrogen. Whilst hydrogen is
the most abundant element in the Universe, it
seems that antihydrogen has only ever been
formed in our experiments here on Earth.
Why there was no antimatter left when the
Universe became cold enough for atoms to
form remains a great mystery – and one we
hope to shed some light upon.”
“This latest development is a huge step towards
measurements on antihydrogen and we are
planning first experiments for later in the year,”
said Swansea University physicist Dr Niels
Madsen, who is currently on sabbatical at
CERN after winning a prestigious Royal Society
Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship.
“We have increased the efficiency with which
we trap the antihydrogen atoms and held
onto some of them for long periods, already
increasing our capability several thousand
times over what we reported last November.”
Professor Mike Charlton
Copperworks site link-up
seeks to promote
industrial heritage
Swansea Council is entering into a
Memorandum of Understanding with Swansea
University and will work with them as a
preferred development partner to explore
regeneration opportunities for the city’s
historic Hafod Copperworks.
A feasibility study will explore the potential to
preserve and develop the historic buildings on
the site, review the masterplan for the site and
investigate sources of funding.
The Hafod Copperworks site contains
12 Grade II listed buildings and structures,
an industrial heritage site of international
importance that reflects Swansea’s development
over the past 200 years.
Professor Huw Bowen, who leads the project
team on behalf of the University, said:
“Exploring ways of developing the Hafod
Copperworks site for the benefit of future
generations offers us the chance – perhaps
the last chance – of ensuring that visible signs
of Swansea’s immensely important industrial
achievements are not lost forever.
It is now hoped that the heritage-led feasibility
study can find ways of maximising the
economic, social, and educational potential
offered by the Hafod site.”
Top right: The Engine Houses on the site of the former
Hafod Copperworks site, credit: Huw Bowen
Right: Hafod Copperworks 1957,
image courtesy of City and County of Swansea
Fungus combats
Bluetongue disease
The University’s College of Science is home to
one of the UK’s leading insect mycopathology
(insect pest control) teams. Team member
Dr Minshad Ali Ansari has recently conducted
a study that shows for the first time that a
fungus known as Metarhizium anisopliae
V275 can effectively kill adult Culicoides
(biting midges) in the family of insects
that carry Bluetongue Virus (BTV).
Bluetongue disease affects sheep and cattle. It
has had a major economic impact in European
countries in recent years. Control of the disease
is becoming more important as the virus is
starting to survive further north over winter.
This study is particularly timely as new EU
directives are encouraging member states
to develop integrated pest management
programmes which use benign plant protection
products. Encouragingly, the efficiency of the
fungus was shown to increase when applied
to certain substrates such as manure,
suggesting success in future field tests.
Dr Ansari explained: “Although insecticides
have proved effective in killing Culicoides
species, they have been harmful to a range
of beneficial insects.
“As a result, the range of available insecticides
has diminished as the chemical-based products
are withdrawn from the market – because
of the perceived risk to humans and the
environment – and farmers face a growing
challenge to control the population of
biting midges.
The fungi can, potentially, be applied
cost-effectively to the places where adult
midges rest, such as animal housing and
livestock, to effectively target known
problem areas.
The next step is to test the fungus in large-scale
field trials with the eventual aim of developing
protocols for its simple and economical
application in BTV endemic countries.”
Healthy adult midges
Why the sudden change?
Dr Siwan Davies, Senior Lecturer in Geography,
has been awarded a prestigious, £1.47 million
European Research Council grant to unlock the
secrets of past climate change. Microscopic
layers of volcanic ash deposited in ancient ice
and marine sediments will be examined with
the research aiming to answer the key question
of whether the ocean drives or merely amplifies
atmospheric temperature jumps.
Dr Davies said: “Little has challenged our
understanding of climate change more than
the abruptness with which large-scale jumps in
temperature occurred in the past. The causes of
these rapid climate changes that saw temperature
swings of up to 16°C occurring within a few
decades are poorly understood.
These climatic events could be related to ocean
circulation behaviour, or be triggered by changes
in the atmosphere possibly in the tropics. This
project will test these opposing possibilities through
the analysis of microscopic layers of volcanic
ash that have been deposited in ancient ice
and marine sediments.”
Dr Davies will build a new team who will employ
a pioneering approach, using the microscopic
traces of ash left from volcanic eruptions to precisely
match Greenland ice-cores, which provide a
record of atmospheric variability, with North
Atlantic marine records, depicting changes in
the ocean circulation system.
Dr Siwan Davies helping with camp chores
during fieldwork in Greenland in 2009:
collecting snow to be used for drinking water.
In brief
Swansea University scientists are working with
the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural
Sciences at Aberystwyth University and collaborators
at Bangor University on the £20 million BEACON
project, a Welsh Government-funded initiative which
aims to pioneer bio-refining using plant material
or ‘bio-mass’ to dramatically reduce the world’s
dependence on oil.
A Coping with destitution report released in February
by Oxfam and the University’s Centre for Migration
Policy Research, paints a depressing picture of daily
life for people seeking asylum in the UK. The report’s
lead author, Professor Heaven Crawley, said: “This
research gives us a rare insight into what life is like
for refused asylum-seekers in the UK and shows
that there is a deep-rooted lack of faith in the
current system.”
The National Geographic Channel’s Great
Migrations series was made possible with the
expertise of a team of researchers led by the
University’s Rory Wilson, Professor of Aquatic
Biology. Filming for the series involved using some
of the Swansea Smart Tag Group’s revolutionary
electronic logging tags, to track and analyse the
behaviour of marine animals round the globe.
For further information about the world-class
research underway at Swansea University,
visit www.swansea.ac.uk/research
Sail – 02
Sail – 03

Swansea
means
business
Supporting the
Knowledge Economy
Examples of how Swansea University has accessed EU convergence
funding to support skills development and knowledge transfer activity
include:
• Steel Training Research and Innovation Partnership (STRIP): a
£7 million initiative that involves Cardiff, Bangor, and Glyndwr
Universities. STRIP will support the creation of a sustainable steel
industry in Wales.
• Software Alliance Wales (SAW): a £13 million initiative over five
years, involving four other Welsh HEIs. The aim is to support the
development of a vibrant software industry in Wales by setting up a
network for software developers in Wales.
• Advanced SusTainable ManUfacturing Technologies (ASTUTE): a £25
million initiative involving every HE Institution in Wales with an interest
in advanced manufacturing and associated technologies. The project
will support firms to invest in, utilise outcomes of R&D, and develop
new and improved products and processes.
LEAD Wales
The School of Business and Economics runs the LEAD Wales
programme, a five-year, £8 million training initiative designed
to equip owner-managers of small to medium-sized enterprises
with the skills necessary to take their businesses to the next level.
“
Many companies find they have gone as far as they can
with their product range or company structure. Part of the
LEAD programme encourages delegates to look for new
opportunities and find synergies with other businesses.
That’s tough to do when the weight of the business rests on
your shoulders. But with LEAD Wales, you’re working with
other entrepreneurs who can inspire you to think in new
directions.
”
Sam Munn, Managing Director, Samatrix Ltd
LEAD Wales is funded by the Welsh Government and the
European Social Fund, and is available in Wales’ Convergence
Areas (formerly EU Objective One regions).
Welsh Centre for
Printing and Coating
While a 2011 Royal Mail survey found that Swansea is the second best location in the
UK for business growth, in the form of start-ups, relocations or developing additional
sites, the Cities Outlook 2011 report published by the Centre for Cities included
Swansea as one of “five vulnerable cities which may not feel the full benefit of national
economic recovery for some time”, due to its reliance on public sector employment and
susceptibility to government spending cuts.
There is clearly an urgent need for Swansea to
provide employment opportunities outside the
public sector. In large part, this can be achieved
through the development of high-tech and
high-value added, skills-based jobs alongside
the creation of a vibrant, knowledge-based local
economy. As a research intensive university,
Swansea University is engaging with this process
to promote economic development, stimulate
investment, and create jobs.
In recent years the University has made
exceptional progress in supporting the
Knowledge Economy by:
• providing skilled graduates
• undertaking collaborative research with
industry
• supporting companies and businesses
through consultancy and skills development
programmes
• teaching entrepreneurship and innovation skills
• generating spin-out companies to exploit the
University’s intellectual property
• encouraging graduates to create start-up
companies
• facilitating graduate placements.
One of the principal mechanisms Swansea
uses to help the business community is
through “technology transfer”, where practical
commercial applications are developed from the
University’s research. For instance, the Institute
of Life Science (ILS), a £50 million partnership
between the University, IBM and the Welsh
Government, carries out world-leading
research into radical ways of treating
diseases such as cancer and diabetes,
and delivering health care.
The development of bioinformatics, visualisation
and virtual reality techniques gives the Institute
potential to create economic wealth through
research, intellectual property licensing, spin-out
companies and inward investment. ILS is also
home to the Boots Centre for Innovation, which
helps researchers and entrepreneurs from around
the world to develop new products for Boots
Alliance plc in areas including pain relief,
skin treatments and healthy ageing.
In its first two years alone, ILS generated
more than 100 new patents or trademarks,
110 collaborative research projects, and
supported the creation of 105 new companies.
The second phase of the project, ILS2, is
currently under construction. The £30 million,
state-of-the-art research centre will play a major
role in developing new products and services
for the health-care industry, and will triple the
space available to grow related businesses.
The University’s international reputation for
world-class engineering research has yielded
a major collaboration with Rolls-Royce plc
and the Engineering and Physical Science
Research Council. The £50 million Strategic
Partnership in Structural Metallic Systems
for Advanced Gas Turbine Applications
programme harnesses academic expertise
via a three-way collaboration between
the universities of Swansea, Cambridge
and Birmingham. Over the next ten years,
researchers at Swansea’s Rolls-Royce
University Training Centre (UTC) will undertake
fundamental materials research to improve the
efficiency and environmental sustainability of
gas turbine engines, and will help train the next
generation of world-class materials scientists
and metallurgical engineers.
The UTC will be based at the University’s
proposed Science and Innovation Campus. The
70-acre site will facilitate a step change in the
University’s interaction with industry by providing
an intensive, open-innovation environment
that accommodates industrial R&D, academic
research, and postgraduate students. The
campus will also be designed to facilitate the
growth of high-technology clusters in the region
by including consultancy, access to business
support, and incubator facilities.
The No City Left Behind report published by
The Work Foundation in July 2010 notes that:
“Growth over the next ten years will be driven
by knowledge-based industries and jobs will
increasingly demand high level skills. This means
universities and the further education sector will
play a crucial role in the recovery.”
In applying its research expertise to the issues
and challenges that face industry on a daily
basis, Swansea University is making a direct
impact on the Knowledge Economy and is
contributing significantly to the development of
new skills and theories that enable innovative
ideas to become a commercial reality. In
turn, the University’s research is leading to job
creation, and is making a real difference to the
health, well-being, and prosperity of countless
people in Wales and beyond.
The Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating (WCPC), based in
the College of Engineering, gives print companies access to the
very latest research, technology and training with the aim of
helping them to improve their competitiveness.
“
WCPC resources go above and beyond what we can
achieve ourselves. Their reports provide a lot of detail but with
clear conclusions to allow confident practical implementation.
Their information is valid to assist management decision
making understandable for workers and has assisted in the
change of attitudes and habits for the better.
”
Norman Faulkner, Technical and Systems Manager,
Cambrian Printers
Dragon Innovation
Partnership
A collaboration between Swansea University, Swansea
Metropolitan University and Trinity University College
Carmarthen, the Dragon Innovation Partnership allows
businesses in West Wales access to experts who can
support their development and training via tailor-made
support packages. The initiative recently published a
pocket guide to business funding and support.
“
Without the pocket guide we wouldn’t have known about
the assistance available to us. We are now working with a
fantastic business mentor who has helped us put together our
business plan for the first three years. And we’re excited to
put the grant towards computer software and equipment for
the business to make sure that we can offer a complete civil
engineering service from conception to completion.
”
Kate Lane, co-owner, Saplane Civil Engineering Ltd
Sail – 04
Sail – 05

Campus
transformation
on the horizon
Swansea University (the UK’s first campus-based university) was established in 1920 at the request
of local industrialists, and has equipped tens of thousands of students with the skills necessary to
forge successful careers. The Singleton Campus is currently the smallest pre-1992 university campus
in the UK and is not large enough to support the University’s future development.
However, the University estate is set to undergo
transformation as part of a six-year strategy
approved in 2010. Earlier in the year, former
Deputy First Minister for Wales Ieuan Wyn
Jones formally announced that the Welsh
Government is providing £15 million to develop
the proposed Science and Innovation Campus,
the most significant development opportunity for
Swansea University for 50 years. The University
forecasts that the project will contribute more
than £3 billion to the regional economy over the
next 10 years, creating thousands of jobs.
The new campus is expected to include
a research and testing facility operated in
partnership with Rolls-Royce, integrated teaching
and research facilities for Engineering, Business
and Economics, Maths and Computer Science,
residential accommodation for up to 4,000
students, and a multi-use auditorium/theatre
building for large lectures, conferences and
exhibitions.
Professor Iwan Davies, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of
Swansea University said “We are at an exciting
stage in the development of Swansea University’s
proposed Science and Innovation Campus.
The University also aims to enhance a range of
other facilities at Singleton, including: research
institutes for the College of Arts and Humanities
and the College of Human and Health
Sciences; a Graduate Centre, comprising
of predominantly social and support space;
improvements to the mosque; an improved main
entrance and reception, as well as upgrades
to individual buildings, site circulation and
campus links.
Feedback from the National Student Survey,
and advice from Students’ Union sabbatical
officers, informed priorities on improvements to
Fulton House, IT provision and teaching spaces
(including lecture theatres).
Improvements are also being made to the study
hall in the library. Reference material will be
moved to free up space whilst additional PCs
and loanable netbooks will be provided, together
with an increase in the number of plug points.
There will also be purpose-built study areas and
better facilities for visually impaired students. A
display screen system showing PC availability will
help students find machines more quickly.
The pace of change at Swansea University,
together with these major developments affecting
the University estate, will have a transformative
affect on the student experience. The growth
of major research and development facilities
designed to encourage industry to work side by
side with researchers, academia and students
will place the University at the forefront of
collaboration with industry, government, and
Higher and Further Education funding bodies.
In turn, students will benefit from an unrivalled
student experience which also equips them with
the skills they need to succeed long after they
have graduated.
Left: Artist’s impression of Fulton House refectory
Below (top): New plan for the refectory
Below (bottom): New plan of study area in the library
Following a detailed evaluation, potential
partners will be invited to participate in a
competitive dialogue that will result in the
selection of the preferred supplier and the
award of a contract to develop and construct
one of the largest knowledge economy parks in
Europe with a significant impact on the
south west region of Wales.”
Essential space will be freed up on the 46-acre
Singleton site to maximise the outstanding
natural features of the campus environment –
by the beach and within a parkland setting.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Richard B. Davies
said: “This is a bold and innovative project. It
promises to be a global exemplar of universities
and industries working together, creating high
technology clusters and hugely enhancing the
career opportunities for students.”
At the same time, the Singleton Campus will
be upgraded to meet the University’s agenda
for change and to provide a long-term base
for Arts and Humanities, Human and Health
Sciences, Law, Medicine, Physics, Geography
and Biosciences.
The continued development of an innovation
hub for Life Science will build on the Institute of
Life Science (ILS) delivery model of integrating
commercialisation and business incubation with
inter-disciplinary research activity in Human and
Health Sciences, Engineering and Nanohealth.
Furthermore, the development of ILS2 will
house state-of-the-art clinical research facilities,
an imaging suite, Europe’s first Centre for
NanoHealth, and the Centre for Health
Informatics, Research and Evaluation (CHIRAL).
Former Health Minister Edwina Hart AM
commented that “this significant investment
from the Welsh Government demonstrates the
importance we place on medical research.
The Institute puts Wales at the forefront of
research and development for tackling many life
threatening diseases. The developments that are
devised here could transform the way we care
for patients and help boost the economy.”
Sail – 06
Sail – 07

Supporting Swansea students
Swansea students to
gain global experience
Combining her interest in Ageing Studies with her work in supporting
people with HIV, Jenny decided to explore the area further by studying
a Taught Master’s at Swansea University. Thanks to improvements in
medication, many HIV positive people are living longer. With this comes
further demand on support services which hasn’t been investigated or
realised until now.
Swansea University has successfully launched its study and work
abroad programmes for 2011 providing an increasing number
of opportunities for work placement schemes.
Jenny Phillips, originally from London, is studying an MSc in Ageing
Studies, having been awarded an Alumni bursary covering the full
cost of the tuition fees.
Jenny graduated from Swansea University in 2000 with a BA in Philosophy
and soon after returned to her native London. Around nine years ago,
she chose to come back to Swansea, having enjoyed her time here as a
student so much.
Jenny began working for AIDS Trust Cymru, a charity set up to support
people with HIV in Wales. Her role as project manager involved designing
and implementing a scheme which has now been adopted by four local
authorities across Wales.
She was awarded the Alumni bursary from Swansea University’s
Alumni Fund to cover the full cost of tuition fees due to her strong
academic background and commitment to the research area. Jenny also
demonstrated her financial need and how the research will impact on
the wider community. Swansea University’s Alumni Fund was set up in
November 2004 with the generous contributions of Alumni across the UK.
To date, eleven bursaries have been awarded to Taught Master’s students.
Jenny said, “Undertaking research as part of the Taught Masters will be
of huge benefit, not only for AIDS Trust Cymru, but also other smaller
organisations. It will help focus resources and possibly aid access to
funding – particularly relevant in these current economic times.”
As a part-time student at Swansea, Jenny said, “Postgraduate study is very
different to undergraduate study: the classes are smaller and I have found
myself working with people from a variety of backgrounds. In fact it has
proved a useful means of networking as I am studying alongside others
who are also working part-time in related sectors.”
Jenny continued, “Academics respect the fact that we, the students, possess
a lot of knowledge and experience through our careers, so seminars
become a great forum for debate.
As the organisation I work for is very small, they could not afford to sponsor
my studies but are very supportive of me studying part-time. Without
the Alumni bursary I would not have been able to return to Swansea
University to study. I am very grateful for receiving the Alumni Bursary and
consequently the opportunity to undertake research which will assist AIDS
Trust Cymru.”
If you would like to support a Swansea student, please contact the
Alumni Office by emailing alumni@swansea.ac.uk
Under the current plans students will be able to
build up a portfolio of transferable, cross-cultural
skills which are increasingly demanded from
graduate employers.
Amongst the projects already proving successful,
the International Development Office has secured
eleven internship placements with multi-national
companies in India over the summer. This is the
third year these internships are being offered
and has grown from just one placement with
GE Healthcare, Bangalore in 2009. These
opportunities are in addition to those already
available through the Erasmus scheme.
The internships will be with, GE Hyderabad in
Computer Science; Thomson Reuters, Mumbai
in Business and Finance; 3M Bangalore in Law;
and Private Equity, Gurgaon in Finance and
Journalism.
Sian Impey, Head of Internationalisation from
the International Development Office said: “The
programme builds on the success of the 2010
programme, which saw five Swansea University
students spend three months working on a range
of projects within the companies.
Our aim is to continue with the development of
the internships with the hope of expanding in
India and other countries in 2012.”
Abhishek Karal, who is studying in his final year
MEng in Computing in the College of Science at
Swansea, carried out his internship last summer at
The John F. Welch Technology Centre ( JFWTC)
in India. The site is GE’s largest integrated
multi-disciplinary research and development centre
and is the first to be located outside the USA.
Commenting on his experience, Abhishek
explained: “The three month internship in GE was
my first real experience working in a corporate
world and I took a lot from it.
Understandably, the internship challenged me in
many ways, but I was always able to turn to my
manager and colleagues for input and support
when needed. I strongly believe the experience
will further enhance my career prospects.”
Vanessa Talbutt, a student of History and
American Studies in the College of Arts and
Humanities at Swansea University, spent the
summer of 2010 in India.
Vanessa (pictured above) said: “This experience
has changed who I am as a person. I appreciate
the opportunities given to me and consequently
have a greater desire to succeed.”
For more information about the summer
internships see www.swansea.ac.uk/
internationalisation
If you can assist Swansea University with
its study and work abroad programme by
offering work placements, please contact the
Alumni Office.
“
This experience has
changed who I am as
a person. I appreciate
the opportunities given
to me and consequently
have a greater desire to
succeed.
”
Sail – 08
Sail – 09

Academi Hywel Teifi yn hybu’r
iaith Gymraeg yn Abertawe
Mae enw’r Academi yn dathlu cyswllt hir un
o fawrion y genedl, y diweddar Athro Hywel
Teifi Edwards, â’r Brifysgol ac yn mawrygu
ei gyfraniad aruthrol i fywyd academaidd,
diwylliannol a chyhoeddus Cymru.
Sefydlwyd Academi Hywel Teifi yn 2010 yn
ganolfan ragoriaeth ar gyfer astudio’r iaith
Gymraeg, ei llenyddiaeth a’i diwylliant, ac ar
gyfer addysg ac ymchwil amlddisgyblaethol
cyfrwng Cymraeg ym Mhrifysgol Abertawe.
Ddechrau’r flwyddyn hon penodwyd Dr
Gwenno Ffrancon yn gyfarwyddwr cyntaf yr
Academi. Meddai: “Y mae’n fraint o’r mwyaf
cael arwain academi sy’n dwyn enw Hywel
Teifi Edwards a chael cyfle i sicrhau bod ei
gyfraniad amhrisiadwy i Brifysgol Abertawe,
i addysg ac ysgolheictod cyfrwng Cymraeg,
ac i ddiwylliant, iaith a llenyddiaeth Cymru
nid yn unig yn cael ei gofio ond bod adeiladu
sylweddol ar y cyfraniad hwnnw yn digwydd
er lles Cymru.”
Tra bod yr Academi yn darparu cymuned
i holl ddarparwyr addysg ac ymchwil
cyfrwng Cymraeg y Brifysgol, y mae’n
gartref sefydlog i oddeutu 30 o staff, yn
ddarlithwyr a thiwtoriaid a gweinyddwyr, a
hynny yn Adeilad Keir Hardie ar gampws
Parc Singleton. Y mae’r Academi yn gartref i’r
Gymraeg fel disgyblaeth, gyda’r Athro Tudur
Hallam yn llywio’r gwaith ymchwil rhagorol
a gyflawnir yn y maes. Y mae hefyd yn
gartref i waith allweddol Canolfan Cymraeg i
Oedolion De-orllewin Cymru sydd yn darparu
a chynllunio ar gyfer dysgwyr Cymraeg yn
ardaloedd Abertawe, Castell-nedd a Phort
Talbot, a siroedd Caerfyrddin a Phenfro, dan
ofal ei chyfarwyddwr Aled Davies. Darpara’r
Academi felly ystod helaeth o raglenni gradd
sengl a chydanrhydedd ardderchog ar yr iaith
Gymraeg a llenyddiaeth Gymraeg Cymru i
fyfyrwyr israddedig, ôl-raddedig ac i oedolion
sy’n ddysgwyr.
Amcan Academi Hywel Teifi yw darparu
cefnogaeth strategol ac arweinyddiaeth ar
gyfer dysgu ac addysgu ac ymchwil cyfrwng
Cymraeg ar draws y disgyblaethau a gynigir
gan Brifysgol Abertawe. Ceir ym Mhrifysgol
Abertawe, er enghraifft, ddarpariaeth cyfrwng
Cymraeg gref ym meysydd Ieithoedd Modern,
Daearyddiaeth, Gwyddor Iechyd, Y Gyfraith
Sail – 10
ac Astudiaethau’r Cyfryngau ac mae gwaith
yn mynd rhagddo i ddatblygu darpariaeth
gyffrous ym meysydd Mathemateg, Peirianneg,
Hanes a Seicoleg. Mae’r Academi felly yn
darparu cefnogaeth ac anogaeth i ddarlithwyr
ac ymchwilwyr ac i’r 3,500 o fyfyrwyr y
Brifysgol sydd yn siarad Cymraeg, y nifer
uchaf yn yr ardal.
Cefnoga’r Academi, yn ogystal, waith y Coleg
Cymraeg Cenedlaethol ac ym mis Medi 2011
bydd cangen Prifysgol Abertawe o’r Coleg
Cymraeg Cenedlaethol yn cael ei hagor o
fewn Academi Hywel Teifi gan ddarparu
pwynt cyswllt ar gyfer myfyrwyr cyfrwng
Cymraeg sydd am fanteisio ar gynlluniau
cyllido, yr adnoddau a’r gefnogaeth addysgol
sydd ar gael gan y Coleg Cymraeg newydd.
Trwy’r amrywiol weithgareddau hyn mae’r
Academi yn cefnogi, cynyddu a chyfoethogi
darpariaeth addysg ac ymchwil cyfrwng
Cymraeg Prifysgol Abertawe gan hybu
cydweithio, mentergarwch a chreu cyfleoedd
trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg. Mae cynlluniau
eisoes ar waith i sicrhau cyfleon profiad
gwaith mewn amrywiol feysydd i fyfyrwyr
cyfrwng Cymraeg gan ffurfio cysylltiadau
manteisiol a chyffrous â darpar-gyflogwyr, ac
mae gwaith yn mynd rhagddo i gynyddu’r
cyfleon sydd ar gael i fyfyrwyr cyfrwng
Cymraeg o ddisgyblaethau amrywiol dreulio
cyfnodau astudio neu weithio dramor. Y
nod yw sicrhau y bydd myfyrwyr Prifysgol
Abertawe yn cael y gorau o ddau fyd –
profiad cwbl Gymreig a Chymraeg mewn
Prifysgol ag iddi gysylltiadau amlddiwylliannol
a rhyngwladol.
Os hoffech ddysgu mwy am waith Academi
Hywel Teifi, mae croeso i chi gysylltu â ni
trwy’r manylion isod:
Gwefan: www.abertawe.ac.uk/
academihywelteifi
ebost: academihywelteifi@abertawe.ac.uk
ffôn: 01792 602070
If you would like an English translation of
this article, please let us know by emailing
alumni@swansea.ac.uk
Atgofion am Hywel
Teifi Edwards
Lansiwyd Academi Hywel Teifi yn Eisteddfod
Genedlaethol 2010. Gwahoddwyd ymwelwyr i
rannu eu hatgofion am Hywel Teifi Edwards, cyn
Athro’r Gymraeg a Phennaeth yr Adran Gymraeg
ym Mhrifysgol Abertawe, a chyn hynny tiwtor
llenyddiaeth Gymraeg yn yr Adran Efrydiau Allanol.
Dyma rai o’r atgofion hynny, a adawyd gan
gyn-fyfyrwyr a chydnabod:
“
‘Darllenwch!’ oedd geiriau H.T. ym
mhob darlith. Cwyno oeddem fel myfyrwyr
bryd hynny (1991-1994). Ond mae’r
gorchymyn yn dal i seinio yn fy nghlustiau
hyd heddiw ac ydw, erbyn hyn dw i’n
darllen bob cyfle ga i. Diolch i H.T. am ei
ysbrydoliaeth a’i anogaeth. Heb ei eiriau
a’i gerydd fydden i ddim wedi parhau
i ysgrifennu.
Mari George
“
Mae’n syml – heb eich help ni fyddwn
i yma i siarad am eich help yn ystod y
cwrs. Diolch am bopeth a dwi’n colli’r
chats bach ar y maes! Diolch.
Jason Mohammad
“
Gŵr gwefreiddiol a fu wastad yn
gymorth mawr ac yn ysbrydoliaeth.
Mark Smith
”
Llais unigryw gyda rhywbeth diddorol
“ a phwysig i’w ddweud – rhaid gwrando
arno fe!
”
Dienw
Cystadlaethau Creadigol
Academi Hywel Teifi
Yn ystod ei blwyddyn gyntaf mae Academi Hywel
Teifi wedi mynd ati i hybu ysgrifenwyr ifanc yng
Nghymru drwy sefydlu Cystadleuaeth Ysgrifennu
Creadigol cyfrwng Cymraeg flynyddol ar gyfer
disgyblion ysgol blynyddoedd 12 a 13, gyda gwobr
o £100 a dosbarth meistr i awdur y darn gwaith
creadigol mwyaf dyfeisgar ac addawol. Lansiwyd
hefyd Tlws y Llenor Ifanc , Academi Hywel Teifi,
yn Eisteddfod yr Hendy ger Pontarddulais – un o’r
eisteddfodau lleol mwyaf a hynaf yn ne orllewin
Cymru. Yn ôl Dr Gwenno Ffrancon, Cyfarwyddwr
Academi Hywel Teifi : ‘Bu’r Athro Hywel Teifi yn
weithgar iawn wrth hyrwyddo a chefnogi doniau
creadigol pobl ifanc ac mae’r Academi felly yn falch
iawn o fedru parhau yn ysbryd y gwaith clodwiw
hwnnw trwy gefnogi cynlluniau o’r math yma.’
Ceir gwybodaeth am y cystadlaethau hyn ar wefan
yr Academi:
www.abertawe.ac.uk/academihywelteifi
”
”
Alumni Profile
Alumni Officer Sally Thurlow met up with Penny Roberts, a journalist and
media consultant who graduated in 1980 with a BA (Hons) Politics.
Your parents and other members of your family
studied at Swansea. Did that influence your
decision to study here?
My mother and father, Rita Rhydderch and
Ron Roberts met at Swansea University in the
1950’s. My aunt also studied here, and my
brother followed a few years after me, so
Swansea is in my DNA. I knew it was a great
place to live and study and it was also close
enough to take my washing home, but far
enough away to be independent!
What did you enjoy most about your course
at Swansea?
I originally applied to read History, and was
influenced by a selection interview with Peter
Stead who remains a great friend to this day. In
my first year I also studied English and Politics
and decided later to switch to single honours
Politics. It was a fascinating course, Professor
Greenleaf was Head of Department and he led
a team of enthusiastic and supportive lecturers.
Dr Richard Taylor taught me Propaganda in
Nazi Germany and was inspiring. He later
became my supervisor when I embarked on
postgraduate work in the department.
You are best known as Chief Reporter for BBC
Wales. What are you doing now?
I spent 25 years at BBC Wales, first as a radio
presenter/reporter before moving to Wales
Today as programme anchor with Vincent Kane.
After my children were born, I was appointed
Chief Reporter which is the best job in journalism
as far as I’m concerned! I left to set up a media
training/video production company, Tower
Media, with a colleague Tony O’Shaughnessy
last year. Tony incidentally is another Swansea
politics graduate. We provide training for the
private and public sectors as well as making
films for use on a variety of platforms.
How has Swansea University and your course
helped you with your chosen career path?
I’d be lying if I said I’d always had a burning
ambition to be a journalist. It was a few years
after I graduated that I realised that journalism
was the career for me. Swansea University
certainly instilled a work ethic in me and
encouraged an inquiring mind – you’d be
surprised too, how many Swansea graduates
are out there. There’ve been many times that I’ve
turned up to conduct challenging interviews and
found that my interviewee had spent three years
in Swansea. Always a good ice breaker!
What are the most rewarding parts of your job?
I have always felt very privileged to be in a job
that on occasions, can make a real difference
to people’s lives. I have worked on a number of
documentaries that have influenced government
policy and corrected injustices. Of course, it’s
been great to have a front row seat at major
events and I’ve been very fortunate to have had
wonderful experiences during my career.
You have interviewed many people over
the course of your career – who stands out
and why?
There are perhaps too many to mention.
Dr Lyn Evans of the Hadron Collider fame was
inspiring. He was visiting the University and
I popped down to grab a sound bite with him.
I ended up interviewing him for more than an
hour. Quincy Jones was wonderfully indiscreet
when he recounted stories about his weekends
with the Rat Pack. Interviewing Howard Marks in
a Florida penitentiary was an experience, and
I couldn’t leave out Donny Osmond, my teenage
heartthrob. Ian Paisley was challenging…
he called me Jezebel after a particularly
combative interview, but I suppose it’s the
people who aren’t famous who have the most
impact, those whose lives have taken a sudden
turn because of extraordinary circumstances.
What was the best careers advice you
were given and what advice do you have
for new graduates?
The best career advice I had was to make
sure I enjoyed my work. How awful would
it be to have decades of your life stretching
ahead of you doing a job that doesn’t fill you
with enthusiasm? It’s so hard for today’s new
graduates, laden with debt and facing fierce
competition to get a job. My experience has
been that it isn’t necessarily the graduates with
the highest grades or the greatest experience
that make the most effective employees. Don’t
rush into a career and trust your instinct.
Twenty-one is very young to know exactly
what you want to do for the rest of your life!
What are your favourite memories of your
university years at Swansea?
Making great friends at Beck Hall and then
moving out in our second year to a house
in the Uplands that really should have been
condemned! No one cared though and we
did have some memorable parties. Walking
through Singleton Park in all weathers to get
to lectures, drinking coffee in the Crush Bar
and Tuesday Night Student Discos in Nutz
nightclub in Mumbles – who can ever forget
the polystyrene crocodile!
Do you keep in touch with your fellow
Swansea graduates?
I try to keep in touch and living in Swansea
means I do get to see people when they come
back to their old haunts. Andy Green, the
former Ents Officer when I was in university is
great at keeping everyone in touch. I used to
share an office as a postgraduate with Nigel
Evans MP now the Deputy Speaker and we’re
still in contact. The first person I met on my
arrival in Swansea was Mark O’Callaghan,
who is now the Head of News and Current
Affairs at BBC Wales… so not only did we go
through University, but worked closely together
for many years too. In the newsroom at BBC
Wales there are many Swansea graduates
like Jason Mohammad, so even if we weren’t
there at the same time we have a great deal of
common ground. The recent Varsity Match was
a wonderful opportunity to renew old friendships
and it’s been great to get back into contact
with alumni.
What have you done that you’re most proud of?
Bringing up two happy daughters.
What are your plans for the future?
Developing the new business is enormously
rewarding and is taking up much of my time.
In the immediate future I’m providing tea and
sympathy for my two girls who are going
through A-levels and GCSEs!
And finally, describe yourself in three words…
Inquisitive, driven, Mum.
Sail – 11

Serious about sport
Swansea University Alumni know how exciting every sporting year can be.
Varsity 2011:
Cardiff 18-28 Swansea
Swansea University won the fifteenth Welsh
Varsity Rugby match, which took place at the
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on 30 March
2011. Swansea has now won the match ten
times in fifteen years.
Over 14,750 spectators saw Swansea
University collect the Welsh Varsity Trophy from
Dennis Gethin, President of the Welsh Rugby
Union. After conceding two early penalties,
Swansea quickly found their rhythm. Tries by
Henry Boot (no 5), Aled Lewis (no 10), Tom
Rowlands (no 9) and Dan George (no 8) were
all converted by the accurate Aled Lewis.
Although Cardiff scored two converted tries,
the Swansea team proved too strong for them.
The Welsh Varsity Challenge
The Welsh Varsity Challenge, now in its fifteenth
year, is the biggest student event in Wales
and is the second largest of the British Varsity
Games, behind the Oxford/Cambridge game.
Swansea University has now won ten of the
fifteen encounters, and drawn one of them.
The match itself is the culmination of a day-long
competition that sees the universities competing
for the Varsity Shield in over 25 different sports,
from basketball, golf, and hockey to fencing,
squash and even Ultimate Frisbee. Cardiff
University won the Shield, although there were
some memorable wins for Swansea, including
a thrilling drop-goal shootout to decide the
outcome of the Freshers’ Rugby match.
Details of next year’s event will be announced
shortly. If you’d like to come along, contact
the Alumni Office for details.
“
The Varsity match
provided an unforgettable
display of pride, passion,
skill, tenacity, and
determination on the
pitch. If there is any better
advertisement for university
sport and sporting rivalry,
I have yet to see it.
”
Professor Richard B. Davies,
Swansea University Vice-Chancellor
Huw’s Ashes success
Congratulations to Swansea University
postgraduate student, Huw Bevan, who helped
the English Cricket Board (ECB) to Ashes glory
this year.
Huw is currently pursuing a PhD within the
Health and Sport Portfolio in the University’s
College of Engineering, where he is focusing
on training methods to develop powerful
athletes. He also works as a strength and
conditioning coach for the ECB, where he is
able to apply innovative sports science methods
developed at Swansea.
Senior Lecturer Dr Liam Kilduff said: “Although
Huw would never admit to it, it is very clear
for everybody to see what a massive impact
he has made to the conditioning of the English
cricket players, which allows them to compete
physically with the other leading cricket
countries.”
Olympic torch to come
to Swansea
The Olympic torch will travel through Swansea
on May 26 next year as part of its 70-day relay
around the UK. During the course of the relay,
the torch will be carried by 8,000 inspirational
torchbearers. Sebastian Coe, Chair of the
London 2012 Organising Committee of the
Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG),
said: “We’re thrilled that the City and County of
Swansea has agreed to host the Olympic Flame
on its journey right across the UK. The Olympic
Flame will shine a light right across Swansea
and will celebrate the culture and heritage of
the area.”
Swansea alumna lays
final tile for
London 2012 venue
Swansea graduate and Paralympic
gold-medal-winning swimmer, Liz Johnson,
had the honour of placing the last of 180,000
tiles in the London 2012 Aquatics Centre. Liz
said: “It’s great to see first-hand where I hope
to be competing and to play a very small part
in building it. I can’t wait to compete at the
Aquatics Centre in front of thousands of fans.”
Swansea to host NZ
Paralympic squad
New Zealand’s Paralympic squad will be
basing their training camp at Swansea University
in the run up to the London 2012 Paralympics.
The squad will be making use of a range of
facilities, including the athletics track and the
Wales National Pool Swansea.
Sporting
reunions
swansea’s top ten At a glance
1997 Swansea 23 – 11 Cardiff 2000 Swansea 28 – 18 Cardiff
1998 Swansea 49 – 13 Cardiff 2001 Cardiff 10 – 10 Swansea
1999 Swansea 13 – 7 Cardiff 2002 Cardiff 21 – 3 Swansea
2003 Swansea 18 – 12 Cardiff
2004 Swansea 25 – 11 Cardiff
2005 Swansea 16 – 8 Cardiff
2006 Cardiff 15 – 5 Swansea
2007 Swansea 18 – 0 Cardiff
2008 Cardiff 19 – 9 Swansea
2009 Cardiff 9 – 6 Swansea
2010 Swansea 16 – 12 Cardiff
2011 Cardiff 18 – 28 Swansea
Were you involved with
any of the University’s sports
teams? If you’re interested
in organising a reunion,
contact the Alumni Office
on alumni@swansea.ac.uk
We look forward to hearing
from you.
Sail – 12