As we enter the summer period, and attention turns to working on dissertations and theses, we continue to provide a range of support, events and initiatives for our students, both in Durham and further afield.
Last month, we were delighted to host the fifth Ustinov Annual Conference on ‘Global Health and Human Rights: Contemporary Experiences of Women’, which included presentations from a number of postgraduate researchers on topics including mental wellbeing, sexual and reproductive health, Covid-19 and abortion rights. This was the first time that the event has been delivered entirely online, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The online format provided an opportunity for Ustinovians across the globe to contribute to the conference.
In July, our Café des Arts team delivered a ‘Crafts for Wellbeing’ event in collaboration with colleagues from the Durham Centre for Academic Development which provided an opportunity for a break away from research, to meet other postgraduate students and, importantly, to relax! The sessions introduced participants to the art of doodling for relaxation by using simple, repeat patterns, to build up an artwork.
We are also delighted that our Chinese Schools Volunteering Project, now in its second year, was shortlisted for the Best Cultural Volunteering Project at the Durham University Volunteer Awards 2019/2020. The project has seen a huge growth in numbers this year, with over eighty students designing and delivering lessons to local schoolchildren. Sessions focus on Chinese language, culture and food, with over 250 children benefitting from the project this year.
Following on from the second edition of The Ustinovian, our Media and Publications team have also been hard at work on the delivery of the first volume of The Pantomath – Ustinov College’s new scholarly journal. The journal features articles from staff, students and supporters on a range of topics, demonstrating the breadth and depth of research undertaken by our scholarly community. We look forward to sharing it with you in the near future!
The GCR continue to host a regular programme of activities for Ustinovians and are also planning for their major summer events, including the College Awards. We are looking forward to celebrating success with them over the next few weeks.
It is always a pleasure to hear from our alumni and friends – you can email us at ustinov.alumni@durham.ac.uk.