Category Archives: College

Linking higher education skills to everyday life through the ‘Fake or Real News?’ workshop 

Anna Hetherton, Access Officer for the Adult and Community strand of Birkbeck’s Access and Engagement department, shares details of the ‘Fake or Real News?’ Digital Information Skills Workshop that Access and Engagement have developed 

As the Adult & Community team in the Access and Engagement department of Birkbeck, it is our role to foster relationships with community partners and adult learning groups to provide relevant and fulfilling learning opportunities to those in the boroughs of Camden and Newham. By collaborating closely with these partners, we are able to combine key priorities of residents to create a useful and novel outreach project. 

A common theme identified across the adult learning sector was the number of adults who had been digitally upskilled, out of necessity, over the lockdown period. Many people were using smart phones and the internet for longer periods of time and in a different way than they had expected. Although many organisations had successfully stepped up to support people by providing technology and tutorials, there was still a gap in learning how to navigate information once people gained access to the online world.  

As the public moved life online, so did scammers, news outlets, retailers and businesses. With the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine there was an influx of information sharing, news, and of course – fake news. Partners identified that low vaccine uptake was a key priority within both target boroughs and was directly impacted by fake news.  

In response, the ‘Fake or Real News’ workshops were created. These workshops are light touch, drop-in sessions that address these themes, relate higher education to everyday life and give people tangible tools to help them navigate information online.  

A screenshot of a virtual meeting showing a slide asking the question 'Where do we get information from'

Participants discuss where we receive information in an online session.

 The importance of conversation
As with all our work, we take a holistic, strengths-based approach. The session does not aim to “give” participants a skill they are lacking, but to bring focus to a skill they use every day and give that skill recognition and a space to put it into practice.  

Using real life case studies and videos, participants practice the tangible steps to analysing a piece of information outlined the workshop. This always brings about thought provoking and fruitful discussions. Since September, we have run this workshop over ten times for different audiences, and no two discussions have been the same. Participants bring stories from their own lives to the table – perhaps a scam they came across or two conflicting articles on their newsfeed. This process sees participants complicate the world of online information, cultivating nuance. Personal anecdotes are valued and woven into the discussion as evidence and a key part of the workshop, showing attendees they are already critical thinkers. Even shy participants become involved with interactive elements like a quiz involving an online dating orangutan. As the workshop evolves, we have found new ways to spark conversation and debate in these sessions. 

A table on which lots of paper is spread. People sit around the table.

Is this misinformation or disinformation? Participants explore the different types of fake news.

One activity uses real life case studies of fake news and challenges the participants to think about the intention and impact of the pieces. Did they mean to cause harm? Were they trying to sell us something? The debate and the conflicting opinions urge participants to inadvertently think critically, challenge their own perceptions and put across their opinions in a logical structured way. 

Realising classroom skills
Ultimately, the goal of the Access and Engagement team is to break down the barriers people face to higher education. Through our Fake or Real News? workshops participants: 

  • Realise and practice their critical thinking skills 
  • Increase confidence in a classroom setting and group discussion 
  • Witness how lived experience belongs in classrooms, and in turn understand that learning is for everyone 
  • Consider next steps in learning and skill development 
  • (In some cases) engage with an online learning environment 
Four workshop participants smiling and holding their certificates of completion.

Participants receive their certificate of completion at the end of a workshop in Newham. 

During one workshop, a participant looked at the opening slides and stated, “I think this might be a bit beyond me”. They approached the content cautiously, but once the conversations and activities began, they realised that they could engage thoroughly, because their own experience and skillset was everything they needed. It is this shift in mindset that these workshops aim to achieve. By the end, this same participant said “brilliant… everyone should do this”. 

 

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Birkbeck’s First Christmas

Jerry White, Emeritus Professor in Modern London History, takes us on a trip down Christmas memory lane, reflecting on the College’s inception nearly two hundred years ago and considering how Christmas in 1823 might have looked.

Crown and Anchor Tavern

There probably wasn’t much talk of Christmas when the London Mechanics’ Institution was founded at a famous meeting at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand, on 2 December 1823. Unlike today, when Christmas shopping and advertising begins around mid-November if not before, Christmas preparations then only began in mid-December: ‘The note of preparation is now sounding through all the different places of public Amusement, to gratify the visitors to London during the festive time of Christmas,’ the Morning Post told its readers on 19 December, and little seems to have been done up to that point. The weather didn’t help this year, with much of December unseasonably warm and humid till just a day or two before the festival, with a marked ‘mildness of weather in and about London; so mild, indeed is the season, that the writer, on Sunday [the 21st], saw, in a private garden at Hammersmith, a wall-flower in blossom, out in the open grounds….’[1]

A festive marketplace

But once the great day approached then all minds were turned to how Christmas might be celebrated: ‘Probably there is no country where Christmas is more enjoyed by the community than in Great Britain’, patriotic newspapers claimed.[2] The real opening announcement of Christmas to Londoners had come a few days before with the first of two Monday ‘Great Christmas Markets’ at Smithfield, where the country’s cattle farmers paraded their best beasts for sale, knocked down to the butchers of Smithfield, Leadenhall, Newgate and Whitechapel. The markets were packed tight with cattle and sheep, driven on the hoof for weeks before; the animals had their last stop for grazing and rest in the fields of Islington to get them to market in peak condition. Once sold at Smithfield, though, ‘the crowded state of the market’ presented ‘an unusual difficulty in getting the Beast out; their heads are battered by two or three drovers at a time, and their eyes in numerous instances knocked out; and this from sheer necessity….’[3]

Beef was, indeed, the favourite food for Christmas dinner, with turkey (driven in flocks from Norfolk), geese, hams (from Yorkshire, Westmorland, even Westphalia) and mutton (for poorer families especially) also in much demand. So much roast meat could pose a problem to some. ‘There is no period probably when persons sympathize with those who have lost their grinders, more than at Christmas, when stews and wishy washy messes are excluded from the festive board, and the loss of teeth is felt as the greatest misery and affliction.’ Boiled plum pudding, though, could be enjoyed by all, the toothless included, and was a Christmas necessity. Great care was essential in getting it just right: ‘If the plum-pudding, from being too rich, should crumble or break, the misfortune never fails of agonizing and fretting the worthy hostess – all the eyes of the company are instantly and most unkindly directed towards her, as if darting reproach, to add to her embarrassment, and aggravate the calamity.’[4] Wine with dinner for the middle classes was followed by madeira, sherry and ‘good old Port’ after the pudding; in poorer households, beer or porter would have to suffice and the whole dinner might have to be taken to the baker’s shop for roasting in the bread oven, though a plum pudding could be boiled in the copper or in a pan on the range. But probably all homes could enjoy some after-dinner games: ‘hunt the slipper’ a great favourite, and ‘snap-dragon’ in richer families, which involved the unlikely pleasure of snatching almonds or sultanas and raisins from a shallow bowl of burning brandy. In all houses, churches and shop windows Christmas decorations seem to have relied mainly on branches of evergreen, especially holly, and candles, though no doubt the theatres and places of public resort were able to put on a bigger display. Mistletoe seemed a little out of fashion in 1823, no longer said to be hanging from drawing-room ceilings but ‘sent down stairs’ to the kitchen ‘for the benefit of rubicund cooks and rosy house-maids.’[5]

Christmas presents were no doubt personal and varied, just as now. Diaries and ‘illuminated pocketbooks’ were much in demand if the advertisers were to be believed, like ‘Friendship’s Offering; or, The Annual Remembrancer: a Christmas Present and New Year’s Gift for the Year 1824’, at a whacking 12 shillings. Dancing at Christmas was all the rage and many advertisements were directed at helping people look their best: Mrs Bell, of 52 St James’s Street, offered  a ‘variety of novel and beautiful millinery, Head Dresses of almost every description, Ball and Evening Dresses’, as well as her ‘Patent Corsets, unrivalled and universally admired’; W. Rowe, at the Magasin de Nouveautes, 72 Oxford Street, offered an ‘assortment of Trinkets’, ‘just received from Paris’ and ‘adapted for Christmas present,’ like bead purses, red mohair bracelets, bone fans plain and painted, ornamental combs and much else; ‘Rowland’s Macassar Oil’ guaranteed ‘a beautiful arrangement of the Human Hair,’ for ‘the Youth of both Sexes … “To dance on the light fantastic toe”’; and music publishers offered fresh arrangements for solo piano and duets as Christmas presents, like Boosey & Co’s new editions of Rossini and Mozart operas, ‘with Italian words’. And there were Christmas foods on offer as presents, some exotic and reflecting London’s reach as the centre of world trade, like ‘Muscatels, in boxes; new Jordan Almonds … Spanish Grapes, very fine Normandy Pippins in baskets, Guimaraen or Portugal Plums, fine New Smyrna Figs in small drums,’ and much more from Hickson & Co’s Foreign Fruit Warehouse at 72 Welbeck Street.[6]

Dancing and riotous behaviour

Dancing could be everywhere, not just in the homes of the middle classes and above, and could no doubt spill into the streets, which were at their liveliest at Christmas. Perhaps this was the cause of ‘an unusual number of dissolute women brought before the [Bow Street] Magistrates yesterday morning from the watch-houses, charged with riotous behaviour in the public streets on the preceding night [the 23rd]. They pleaded the season in their defence. They had only indulged in a little Christmas festivity. The Magistrates told them that no season could justify drunken riots in the streets; and sent two of the most obstreperous among them to spend their holydays [sic] in Tothill-fields Bridewell – Mary Baskerville for one month, and Ann Davis for fourteen days.’[7] The streets had other dangers too. For a day or two before the 25th, apprentices, artisans of one kind or another and shop assistants would go house-to-house soliciting pennies and sixpences for their ‘Christmas boxes’. This year the ‘housekeepers in and around the metropolis are cautioned against a set of men who go about in the assumed character of Bow-street Patrol, soliciting Christmas Boxes. It is proper that it should be known such persons are impostors, and that the Bow-street Patrol are strictly prohibited from soliciting Christmas Boxes and are liable to be dismissed their situation if it be known that they do so.’[8]

Christmas boxes were one indication that charity was then as now one of the defining characteristics of Christmas, publicly lauded in the press and from the pulpit. Charity sermons were preached everywhere, with particular sections of the deserving poor in view, or for the benefit of charitable institutions like the Magdalen Hospital for ‘rescuing fallen women’, or the Asylum for Female Orphans, both in south London. There was an unusual Christmas tradition in a fast-growing part of west London where every year ‘according to annual custom, a large quantity of bread and cheese was distributed at Paddington Church amongst the poor by tickets; the assemblage was immense: until within these last three years the custom was to throw it in baskets full [sic] cut into square pieces from the belfry of the Church amongst the crowd, but owing to the confusion and many accidents occasioned by the scramble, that custom was abolished and the present mode substituted in its stead.’ This was paid for by an endowment from ‘two old maiden sisters (paupers), who travelling to London to claim an estate, in which they afterwards succeeded, and being much distressed were first relieved at Paddington on that day.’[9] The sisters were luckier than some in London that Christmas of 1823. At Marlborough Street Police Court on Christmas Eve, an ‘elderly woman, who stated that she had scarcely tasted food for the two last days’ told the magistrates that the St Pancras relieving officer had denied her relief until her case went before the guardians of the poor, who would now only meet after Christmas. The magistrate ordered that she be given temporary relief, presumably in the workhouse, until the committee should meet.[10]

christmas scene from 19th century

Pantomimes and Christmas cheer

Of all the pleasures of Christmas 1823 it was the London theatres who offered the richest dose of Christmas cheer. Pantomimes then began on Boxing Day and ran into the early New Year. Very few opened in the run-up to Christmas, in contrast to today’s extended festival, now often beginning at the start of December. But on Boxing Day the theatres – even the grand Theatre Royal, Drury Lane – let their hair down. This year there were Harlequin and the Flying Chest (Drury Lane), Harlequin and the House that Jack Built (Covent Garden) where the action travelled from the London parks to the Tuileries in Paris and back again, Fox and Geese, or Harlequin the White King of Chess (Surrey Theatre, Blackfriars Road), Harlequin’s Christmas-box, or the London Apprentices (Olympic Theatre, Wych Street, Strand), and Doctor Faustus and the Black Demon, or Harlequin and the Seven Fairies of the Grotto (Adelphi, Strand). At the last, all did not go according to plan. Despite ‘some pretty scenery’ and ‘a lively Clown and Columbine’, the pantomime ‘tried the patience of the audience severely through a number of scenes, throughout the whole of which there were not three clever tricks, and those that were attempted were for the most part bungled…. Good humour, however, which had more than once … begun to give way, was completely revived by the introduction of a panoramic view of the British fleet under Lord Exmouth bombarding the town of Algiers, which … was warmly applauded.’[11] The patriotic fervour of a London theatre audience was a sight to behold long before ‘Jingoism’ was ever invented.

By the time the London Mechanics’ Institution opened its first premises at Southampton Buildings, Holborn, late in 1824, this first Birkbeck Christmas was just a faint memory. Among those founders at the Crown and Anchor that December, who would have thought that another 200 Christmases would be celebrated with Birkbeck still providing adult education in London that is second to none?

London Mechanics Institute

[1] Morning Herald, 23 December 1823

[2] Morning Advertiser, 25 December 1823

[3] Cobbett’s Weekly Register, 20 December 1823

[4] Morning Advertiser, 25 December 1823

[5] Sunday Times, 28 December 1823

[6] Morning Post, 22 December 1823 (capitalisation simplified) and Bell’s Weekly Messenger, 22 December 1823 (macassar oil)

[7] Morning Herald, 24 December 1823

[8] Morning Post, 25 December 1823. The Bow Street Patrol were a small force of police run by the Bow Street magistrates, before the formation of the blue-uniformed Metropolitan Police in 1829.

[9] New Times, 23 December 1823

[10] Public Ledger and Daily Advertiser, 25 December 1823

[11] The Times, 27 December 1823

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Ten traditional Diwali dishes to celebrate the festival of lights

Aditya Mukherjee, BA Global Politics and International Relations student, shares his recommendations for what to eat during the Diwali celebrations this week. 

One of the most popular festivals in India, celebrated all over the world, Diwali, or Deepavali as it is known, is a festival of light that brings family and friends together. Taking place in November (based on the lunar calendar so dates change every year), it is the time of the year that many look forward to, as it brings families together. It is the time when households are lit with ‘diyas’ (traditional Indian lamps) in the evening to mark the victory of good over evil, and to welcome the Gods home. 

In addition, it is also the time when people purchase new clothes, home items, electronics, and cars. More importantly, gifts are given to loved ones.  

Food is an important aspect of the celebration, and many types of delicious dishes are made to celebrate every evening. Let’s discover some of the well-known foods that are almost always prepared during this festival (caution – most of them are desserts and deep fried, so if you have a sweet tooth, you are in for some cravings!) 

1. Jalebi  

“If you haven’t tried jalebi, you have not lived.” (Quote by an ancient Indian scholar) Deep fried spiral shaped batter covered in sugar syrup. This is not for the faint hearted. 

Jalebi

2. Gagar-ka-Halwa (carrot halwa) 

A delicious pudding made form slow cooked carrots simmered in milk along with a lot of jaggery (organic sweetener from sugarcane) and sugar. It usually has cardamom, cashews and raisins for aroma and flavour. 

Gagar-ka-Halwa

3. Gulab jamun (rose water berry) 

Another sweet confectionary and a must have in any Indian celebration. Milk and cheese solids dough heated over a long time, later fried and soaked in sugar syrup. 

Gulab Jamun

4. Kheer (rice pudding) 

Rice slowly cooked with milk, sugar, saffron and cardamom, creates the classic Indian pudding known as kheer. Cooked only on special occasions, it is a must have at a Diwali party. Nuts and dried fruit are also added for stimulating the palate. 

Kheer

5. Burfi (fudge)  

Burfi’s are fudge, that can come in various textures and consistencies depending on the ingredients and spices used. Naturally, Indian burfis come in a pantheon of colors and flavors so there is always something for everyone when it comes to this desert. My all-time favourite is mango burfi and the regular or natural flavor (doodh) milk burfi. 

Mango barfi

Moving on to the savories, the contenders are: – 

6. Samosas  

A staple that is synonymous with Indian identity, samosas are triangular savoury pastries that are irresistible because they are crispy, yummy, spicy and, naturally a must have during celebratory events. Quite literally, a fried or baked pastry with a savoury filling such as a spiced potato mash with onions, lentils and peas. They are often eaten with condiments like mint and tamarind chutney (usually a choice of one sweet and once spicy chutney) for those who aspire to have the authentic experience. 

Samo

Samosa

7. Chakli (spirals) 

A very popular Indian savory, these are made of rice and/or gram flower, that is of course deep fried along with spices and lentils, thus available in many different variations and flavours. Although commonly available and eaten, this is one of those snacks that is a favourite and finds its way onto menus for parties and celebrations very easily. 

Chakli

8. Pakora (spiced fritter) 

Having several variations , pakoras are quintessential, easy to make and, have a lot of variety in flavours depending on the vegetables used that are coated in a gram flour batter, and totally deep-fried to the heart’s content. A mix of vegetables and spices may be added to diversify the palate but the most common are pieces of cauliflower, eggplant (aubergine), potatoes, and mixed vegetables. To enjoy, these are eaten with condiments, such as a mint or mango chutney on the side to fire up your taste buds. 

Pakora

9. Puri – bhaji 

A traditional Indian dish, puri meaning deep fried rounds of flour, and bhaji meaning a potato vegetable, eaten together is an enjoyable and recognizable dish eaten during celebrations and auspicious occasions. Also known as a comfort food, the spices used in the bhaji vary from mustard seeds, onions, turmeric, coriander leaves, salt and pepper, which all  blend to create the perfect mouthwatering vegetable dish. 

Puri – bhaji

10. Papdi chat  

Papdi (deep fried dough) along with potato mash, chickpeas, onions, chutneys, tomatoes and spices, served with spices covered in yoghurt is known as papdi chat. As vibrant in its colour, as it is in its flavour, it is an enjoyable combination of sweet, savory, spices, crunchy and smooth textures to be enjoyed during the festive season. 

Papdi-chaat

Now don’t get me wrong, not everything is about eating!  

Diwali is also an occasion where the art of ‘rangoli’ is made, usually in front of the main door of a house, or perhaps in a prominent place (can be indoors and outdoors as well) in order to welcome Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth. ‘Rangoli’ are traditional Indian designs made by using coloured powders, that are attentively applied on the surface using all but 3 fingers to moderate the flow and fall of the colored powder to create exquisite designs, and are often accompanied with flowers and diyas. Some designs are passed down from generation to generation and it is definitely one of the most unique aspects of Diwali. 

Rangoli

Evenings are marked with ‘pooja’ (prayers offered to the Gods), and thanks are given for all the good fortunes in the past and wishes made for the future. Later the night sky is lit up with firecrackers. So, out with the old and in with the new. This is a festival of lights, joy and togetherness. Wishing everyone a very Happy Diwali. 

 

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Birkbeck’s largest cohort of international students treated to a welcome reception

international students seated in a hall

Students from dozens of countries around the world were treated to a welcome reception at Birkbeck’s main campus earlier this month. The event offered the new students, who are part of Birkbeck’s largest cohort of international students, an excellent opportunity to meet and interact with their peers and other members of the College community.

The reception also gave the students an opportunity to hear from the organising team for the College’s One World Festival- a programme of free events which celebrate Birkbeck’s diverse, international culture- and the programme of extracurricular activities planned for the 2022/23 academic year. Colleagues from Academic Schools and Central Services were also on hand to warmly welcome the new international students.

students in lecture theatre

Pro Vice-Chancellor (International), Professor Kevin Ibeh said, “The reception offered an excellent informal occasion to welcome international students who have joined the College’s global family as we count down to the kick-off of our long-awaited bicentenary celebrations. I heartily congratulate these new students on their admission to Birkbeck and would like to assure them of our collective commitment to availing them of excellent learning experience and great memories.”

Another highlight of the Welcome reception was an informative presentation on culture shock led by Counselling Service Manager, Aura Rico. This session shared practical tips on how international students might best navigate cultural challenges and opportunities associated with their new international environment.

Many of the attendees commented on the “best part of the event”- an interactive networking session which closed the day.

A video of welcome remarks by Professor Ibeh and other Birkbeck staff can be viewed here.

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Bringing education and learning opportunities to groups underrepresented in higher education

Laura Bradnam, Senior Access Officer for the Adult and Community strand of Birkbeck’s Access and Engagement department, shares details of the new programme that the team have been working on.  

People in a classroom taking in a presentation by a workshop leader


As the Adult and Community strand of
Access and Engagement, we work with grassroots groups, voluntary organisations and statutory services to deliver learning in community settings and provide advice and guidance which supports resident priorities and local needs. It is part of the department’s aim to bring education and learning opportunities to groups underrepresented in higher education.  

The Pathways programme is a new pilot that we’ve developed in collaboration with the Mary Ward Centre, and funded by Uni Connect. The programme is a holistic, strengths-based workshop series, which aims to increase participants self-awareness, find their energising skills and action plan their next steps into education, work or volunteering. What’s special about the Pathways Programme is that it challenges the ‘deficit discourses’ that tend to dominate the employability sector, which often responsiblise an individual for things like a ‘lack of confidence’ or being ‘low skilled’. The programme we have developed considers the whole person and their life experience when figuring out their skills, strengths and next steps. 

Approach
Working with the career coach from Mary Ward ensured activities were interactive and created a safe and supportive space, starting from where people were. Sessions are structured, but with room to explore the needs of each attendee, and build a pathway to sustainable options for volunteering, training and learning opportunities. A certificate of participation is awarded on the day. Community partners advised that this may be one of the first opportunities participants have to be recognised in such a way, so it can be a special moment. 

Two people working through a sheet of paper with prompts and images on it.

Which element are you? Self-reflection activity. 

Participants lives are a rich tapestry, woven from threads connecting caring responsibilities, spirituality and faith, different languages and skills, and being active their local community. These provided valuable sources of inspiration and lived experience. In recognition of this, it was important that the workshops were a whole day – having a bigger chunk of time is necessary to give guests space to think outside of the everyday, and work in a way which cultivated the values outlined above. We wanted to challenge the idea that these aspects of people’s lives are only a barrier – harnessing the Birkbeck ethos that this is valuable experience and life cannot be judged by single exam marks. 

A table covered in small pieces of card with various 'strengths' written on them and a hand sorting through them.

Sorting through strengths cards. 

Part of this approach means we physically go to the participants – for example we did an extra session at Skills Enterprise, tailoring the workshop to fit in with the centre’s activities and making sure it was accessible. All resources were designed for a range of needs including supporting worksheets for those at the earlier stages of learning English; different methods to share ideas for those new to a classroom environment (from pair share to online quizzes); and enough staff so the coach could lead the session and 1-to-1 support available for those who needed it. We are fortunate to have members of the team who are trained in various facilitation techniques, including making spaces safe for people who have special educational needs, which helped elevate the offering of the workshops. 

Participant Feedback
“I thought the exercises in the session were good. They really made me think about myself and what I would like to do for work and opened me up to studying again.”

“This is an eye opener on steps to take to achieve my set goal as well as identifying my strengths, learned behaviours and weaknesses and how to gradually drive my weaknesses into learned behaviour. The workshop is really impressive and time valued.”

A group of people sat in a class room watching someone lead a workshop

Participants at Skills Enterprise in Newham. 

Future
This pilot is only the beginning! Due to the success and positive feedback received, we are continuing to run this programme funded by Mary Ward Centre. The next iteration of the programme will be in January 2023 at Kentish Town Community Centre, and May 2023 with community partners in Newham.  

If you’re interested in getting involved with Access and Engagement’s work in the community, email the team via getstarted@bbk.ac.uk.   

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“The Pioneer Programme was absolutely phenomenal”

Susan Christine Wachera, MSc Organisational Psychology student and winner of 2022 Pioneer Award for the Best Business Pitch, tells the story of her business, Black Talanta, as well as sharing her experience of taking part in Pioneer, a Birkbeck programme that helps students and graduates develop the knowledge and skills they need to start a business.

Susan Wachera

What is your business about?
Black Talanta supports Black students and recent graduates in accessing highly-skilled employment, mentorships and internships.

Did you always know you’d be a businesswoman?
From the age of 10 my whole life had actually been geared towards becoming a doctor. I studied BSc Medical Biochemistry and received an offer for a place at medical school. However, I knew I also had this other side of me that was very entrepreneurial and business-minded. I’ve always had side hustles going on. I thought for a while I could balance being a part-time doctor with my other businesses. Everyone thought I was crazy!

Why didn’t you end up pursuing a degree in medicine?
During my undergraduate degree, I founded a business that helped secure students medical internships and work placements. By doing this, I realised I had a talent in supporting people write CVs and build their personal brand, and I wanted to explore this career path further. I made a big and brave decision to give up my place in medical school, the year before I was due to start. I wanted to find out who I was when medicine wasn’t involved – because my whole identity at that time was wrapped up in medicine.

What did you do next?
I discovered Birkbeck’s MSc Organisational Psychology course and I was mind blown. I never knew that I could combine my love for business and my love for psychology. I started the course in October 2020 and haven’t looked back. Black Talanta came about through my lived experience and my desire to help other Black people secure opportunities and achieve their goals. It has taken off in recent months, with the help of Birkbeck’s Pioneer programme.

Susan Wachera presenting at the Pioneer Awards ceremony

How did Pioneer help you progress your business idea?
Pioneer was absolutely phenomenal. It helped me move from concept to product in only three months, which is almost unheard of. I was focused on applying everything I learnt on the programme, and I was taught how to set up a business in the right way, so I managed to set the foundations for my business quickly. I really appreciated all the Pioneer workshops, mentors and resources – it definitely helped me get opportunities, such as working with the Deputy Mayor of London, Silicon Valley, and the United Nations. I would definitely recommend the programme to other students.

What are your plans for the next few months?
For Black Talanta to really work at the scale I want it to, I’m looking to develop more partnerships with employers, so I can bring in as much talent into the workforce as I can.

Further information

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Meet Astrea: Julie Crofts, Director of Academic Standards and Quality & Deputy Academic Registrar

Julie Crofts smiling for the camera.Astrea is Birkbeck’s staff network for women and non-binary people in professional services. We talk to Astrea member Julie Crofts about her career journey.

Can you tell us a bit about your career journey so far?

I’ve worked in and around education and universities for over 30 years now. I studied English Literature (with some grammar and old English thrown in) as an undergraduate and I followed straight on with a Master’s degree in the days when the British Academy would support students to take an MA. I started a PhD on Angela Carter’s work in the early ‘90s. There wasn’t much of a support framework then for PhD students and I think I felt a bit thrown in at the deep end. I really liked the teaching I did as a PhD student and afterwards at Birmingham University, but I didn’t really have the confidence or single-mindedness to pursue an academic career. It gave me an early brush with quality assurance as I was both a postgraduate student rep and also a teacher whose class was observed in the 1994 Teaching Quality Assessment process.

I learned to type when I was 18 – my mum’s legacy – which meant I could start temping in offices when touch-typing wasn’t a universal skillset. It gave me quite a lot of work experience in multiple sectors. In higher education, I’ve worked at or studied in (or both) around 15 different institutions across the country in my career.

My first permanent job in London was at the Royal Society for Arts (if you ever see FRSA after someone’s name, by the way, that means they pay to be a Fellow) working on a project supporting accreditation for work-based learning through volunteering. It was a fantastic introduction to the city and to work from drug rehabilitation to Theatre Peckham. It also prompted a career in arts education and twenty years working in conservatoires. I made an active choice to work in dance and spent five years at the Council for Dance Education and Training which accredited professional dance programmes. I helped to set up the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama (created with HEFCE support in 2001) moving from a project officer to its Executive Director and from there to RADA as Secretary and Registrar. I also spent some time at City, University of London. Small institutions don’t always offer the complexity of bigger universities but do offer breadth. At RADA, along with the directors of education/training, we were switching between being the leadership team making decisions about the strategic direction to problems with a shower not working. I don’t think there is a ‘right’ career route; just opportunities to keep learning and developing your experience and judgment.

A few summers ago, I was working on two team restructurings: one at RADA and one at City. I learned then that it’s never the thing you think that will really be difficult, always the one you think will be easy.

I’ve known Birkbeck since I came to London and have always admired its ethos and the opportunities it provides for people. My role as Director of Academic Standards and Quality & Deputy Academic Registrar (surely the longest job title of anyone in the College) is ideal for me at the moment. I’ve got a lovely and talented team and work with great people in Registry and across the College. I’ve enjoyed working more closely with departments, learning more about the programmes we offer and getting to know people. I’m especially pleased to be on campus a bit more now and meeting people I’ve been working with for 15 months but am only now meeting in person.

What are some tips for success?

I’d like someone to tell me! But my personal guiding lights are:

  • Do something that interests you and perhaps scares you a little bit.
  • Serve the work, not the person: that really means do the best you can by the work you’re doing rather than play politics or try to undermine someone else. Try to be straightforward, don’t withhold information, work for the team. Be ambitious for your work, not for your status.
  • When they go low, we go high (Michelle Obama).
  • Be kind.
  • Not everyone will like you, and that’s ok.
  • Always say thank you.

What advice would you give to someone starting your career/field?

Quality assurance is about standards, about consistency and above all about good learning experiences. I think it’s really helpful for someone working in a ‘central’ quality team to have had experience working in a department or somewhere like student advice, basically having had day-to-day contact with our students and also the people who teach them.  In a variation of serving the work, remember that you’re backstage not the main show. Your job is to support the education offered and that’s an essential role, but if you’re doing it well, most people won’t notice. I’ve been on the academic path and I’m married to an academic and it’s a good reminder of what we’re here to do.

What was the last thing you read/heard/saw that inspired you?

Here’s a photo of a bench by the artist Jenny Holzer I saw at Easter in the Peggy Guggenheim in Venice:

Image of the words: savor kindness because cruelty is always possible later

Otherwise, I listened on Audible to Dr Julie Smith’s Why has nobody told me this before.  Her tip for stopping ruminating is to put your hand out in front and say ‘Stop!’ And it works! Try it.

Finally, I’ve recently re-read South Riding by Winifred Holtby. A book as much about the machinations of committees and local government as anything else. Heartily recommend.

What do you do to unwind after work?

Apart now from saying Stop!, in lockdown we took to playing Bananagrams as a reset for the end of the day. I love reading and I’ve knitted my way through a great many box sets. Now the weather’s better, I’m tending my balcony plants and looking forward to my Emily Brontë rose finally flowering. I’m not entirely sure I’m much of an unwinder, except of knitting, though.

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Meet The Finalists | Pioneer 1.0 Programme 2022

Meet the early-stage entrepreneurs who will be pitching live at this year’s Pitch & Awards evening, competing for Best Business Idea and Best Business Pitch.

We are excited to introduce this year’s Pioneer 1.0 finalists who have been shortlisted to pitch their business ideas live in June in front of an esteemed judging panel and invited audience.

After two turbulent years which transitioned the Pitch & Awards evening to a virtual event, we are delighted to be back in the room to celebrate the fifth year of the programme.

Over the last five years, the Pioneer 1.0 programme has supported over 500 budding entrepreneurs at Birkbeck and continues to champion ambitious students and recent graduates who have innovative ideas that will make a difference.

Since kicking off in November 2021, participants have taken part in seven monthly workshops to develop the skills and knowledge to succeed in business, learning from a range of entrepreneurs, industry experts and each other to turn their ideas into reality.

The six finalists are in with a chance of winning either the Best Business Idea or Best Business Pitch award, each worth a £1500 cash prize to support their business, along with a bespoke package of mentoring, coaching and promotion.

This year, over 100 students and recent graduates have participated in the programme and their achievements will be celebrated at the pitch and awards evening on Tuesday 14 June at BMA House in Bloomsbury.

Meet the Finalists

Portrait of Annabel Ola looking into camera.

 

Annabel Ola

  • MSc Culinary Innovation Management
  • Business: BEKIRI

BEKIRI exists to expand the boundaries of modern luxury patisserie. The fusion classic recipes and African ingredients will offer a new dimension of cultural discovery and appreciation for customers.

 

Ella Snell smiling for the camera.

 

Ella Snell

  • MA Philosophy
  • Business: Art School+

Art School+ is a service which connects early-career and underserved artists with unique paid commissions. It further aids both artists and organisations by providing bespoke training and 360 support.

 

 

 

Picture of Kacey Ibirọ̀gbà

Kacey Ibirogbà

  • Bachelor of Law
  • Business: Kọ silẹ

Kọ silẹ (koh-see-leh) is a compounded social bookmarking platform, simplified and designed with the adaptability of restoring structured balance into every aspect of our lives.

 

 

Picture of Sonja

Sonja Bacinski

  • FDSc Computing/Information Technology/Web Development
  • Business: Zolibri

Zolibri is an online platform that finds, validates and brings together the best of ethical & eco-friendly cosmetics from numerous online shops so you can find them all in one place.

 

 

Picture of Susan Christine Wachera smiling

 

Susan Christine Wachera

  • MSc Organisational Psychology
  • Business: Black Talanta

Black Talanta is democratising access to equitable high-skilled employment by pairing internships with black heritage students and recent graduates enabling them to make an informed career decision about the professional pathways that best suit them.

 

 

 

 

Picture of Wunmi

 

Wunmi Adebowale

  • MSc Coaching Psychology
  • Business: The Whole Woman Initiative

The Whole Woman Initiative is the social cause working to end domestic violence against women in Nigeria by providing psycho-social support and building a safe space community.

 

 

 

 

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Chasing Chevening Dreams

Paraguayan Maureen Montania Ramirez, an MSc Health and Clinical Psychological Sciences student at Birkbeck, tells us about her experience applying for the Chevening scholarship.

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Maureen Montania Ramirez at Durdle Door

When I decided to apply to Chevening I was at a point in my career where the training resources in my country were no longer sufficient for the dreams and goals I had in my head. I wanted to bring something different to my country and I felt that the only way would be to study in a first world country with the best universities in psychological research, that was for me the UK.

When I took this decision, I received immediate support from my boss who is also a born dreamer who had left the country for training and knew very well the longing I felt at that moment. She offered me her unconditional support and became my sole mentor from start to finish. This was the first and only time I applied to Chevening, I didn’t have high hopes of getting the scholarship because I knew thousands of stories of people who didn’t make it until the third attempt, or never. These were people I respected a lot and considered excellent professionals, so I said “I’m going to try, to at least gain experience and make it the third time”.

My mentor helped me to reflect in my essays who I am, what I dream of, how I move in this life and what I see on the other side of the horizon as a leader and social fighter. With her help, I was able to put all this into words, thanks to which I received the first great joy: the mail of being pre-selected for the interview. It had been a long time since I had felt so much hope, I started to believe in myself, that I could make it. I could already see myself at my university, making friends, learning in a lab and gaining thousands of experiences.

I feel that being charged with so much hope was the key to performing well in the interview. It’s worth noting that in March, when I was interviewed, I was going through one of the worst times of my life. My father was hospitalised for covid with his life hanging by a thread. I barely had a head to think. However, I knew that my dad, more than anyone else, believed that I could make it. A mixture of homage and hope led me to be energised and carry on a 40-minute interview that felt like 15 minutes to me. I had so many things to say, one idea led to another and I answered the questions with words that flowed on their own. The strength that moment gave me has no name. To this day I remember how complete I felt after the interview, when everything else in my life was falling apart.

Immediately afterwards I called my dad to tell him. It was a unique moment that I treasure to this day.

pic of Maureen Ramirez and family

Maureen and family

Shortly thereafter my dad returned home. The recovery was slow and challenging, but steady. Little by little he regained the light in his face, I did not leave his side for a second. So it was that when I received the mail saying that I had finally been selected, he was by my side. We jumped with emotion, we hugged, we cried, we screamed. I felt more alive than ever. I thanked him and my mom for everything they gave me, for having raised me with wings to always fly wherever I want, because without them I am nothing.

Maureen Ramirez holding the Paraguayan flag

Maureen proudly displaying the Paraguayan flag

Months after the preparation of papers, suitcases and emotions, I had to say goodbye to my family at the airport, with a huge smile, hugging my Paraguayan flag and raising my arms high as if to take off once again, with the support of my pillars in this life. It filled me with joy to see my father’s face full of life, completely back, next to my mother and my brother. I boarded the plane with a suitcase full of dreams and hopes.

pic of Maureen Ramirez on first day in UK

Maureen’s first day in the UK

Today, almost a year after that interview, I still feel I have to pinch myself to remember where I am. What was a dream yesterday is now a constant reality. My life here is wonderful. Every day I learn something new- academically and socially, I discover new friends, new places, new lives. I am immensely happy and grateful. Chevening gave me everything and more than I expected. It transformed me.

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In their own words: Tips from our Chevening scholars (Interview – part 2)

We’ve asked Birkbeck’s 2021 Cheveners to share their experience applying for the prestigious UK government scholarship. In this second instalment of the series we hear from Chevening scholars from Africa, Europe and Latin-America.

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“It is very important to be sure of oneself, to be convinced of what one has written in the essays and to know how to defend the ideas behind them. You should not focus on memorising information but on being genuine, you know why you are applying, you just have to defend that and show that you have a good profile. It is also not essential to be too formal, sometimes that makes us act robotically, just be yourself.”- Maureen Magali Montania Ramirez, Paraguay

pic of maureen montania ramirez

Maureen Montania Ramirez

“The preparation for my Chevening interview was centred around the project I had submitted in the Chevening application. This involved working on how I would orally and convincingly showcase myself and my project as worthy of the Chevening award. Of course, I also worked on the tips which were provided on the Chevening website and social media, but my focus was on my personal story as a Chevening candidate. In other words, I put enough thought and work into how I would present my project and myself during the interview as an authentic personal story, and not as a copy of someone’s else. Hence, I think that this is vital to acing the Chevening interview.

Think about what makes you unique as a Chevening candidate and about what makes your story original. This implies having a clear vision of why you applied in the first place and of what you aspire to achieve with your master’s degree. And if this vision is not clear in your mind yet, this is where you need to start the preparation. I believe that if you can communicate this vision clearly and convincingly during your interview, you will be able to answer the other points related to it, such as your leadership skills, your ability to function in the academic and cultural environment in the UK, and your short- and long-term goals.”Rachid Meftah, Morocco

“For an interview, I would advise you to tell only about 1-2 the most successful examples of leadership and networking from the many good examples you certainly have, and describe them in more detail. It is better to use the STAR method for this. It is especially important for the commission to see exactly how you show your qualities in challenging situations, and not that you often had to face problems.

I would also advise you to be sincere in the interview and remember your highest goal, for which you apply for Chevening. Remember what you want to achieve thanks to the scholarship, and dedicate your entire story to this general idea.

Try to follow a clear structure of the story and not go into unnecessary details. Do not go away from your thoughts to the side and do not engage in third-party reasoning and explanation of the context. At the same time, try to describe your own contribution and your motivation in as much detail as possible.”Emma Terchenko, Russia

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Emma Terchenko

“I read all the blogs written by Chevening and also by other Chevening alumni. I prepared an answer for every possible question trying to always convey my passion for making a change in my country and my leadership and networking skills. After, I asked my family and friends to listen to my answers and to give me feedback. Finally, I practiced as if I was in a real interview with other candidates from different countries.
My advice would be to prepare and practice to the point where the answers come to you in a natural way. You will be nervous on the day of the interview but knowing that you have rehearsed your answers will make you feel comfortable even if they ask you something you were not prepared for.”- Virginia Nuñez, Guatemala

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