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PC4 Training on Friday and recap.
Posted on April 27, 2009 by Jay Montano
Last Wednesday was the first meeting of all the Talent Leaders. Unfortunately, Megan and I could only attend the first hour as we had a Neuroanatomy Spotter exam to go to. Suffice to say, the Spotter went ok and today I got my results. Now I Just need 10% from the exam to pass that double module, and fingers crossed, I can get a bit more to get a decent grade.
I kind of wished I stayed for the full 2 hours of the first Talent Leader meeting as Ian Jones, who coordinated that meeting and the Beacon For Wales project, was quite captivating. What Ian was talking about felt important. Rather than facts off a book, it felt like the things I was learning in that hour, I could immediately apply to outside life.
For me, there was a feeling of urgency to learn what was being said, which I always felt when lecturers would talk about clinical aspects of my Biomedical Sciences Anatomy Degree. I guess it’s because I still really want to do Medicine after this degree. A crazy direction to wallop myself with more debt and more education, but I think when you find something you really like doing, that’s really all that matters. So whenever anything clinical/interacting with general public comes up, I get a surge of enthusiasm.
This is probably one of the things as Talent Leaders we’ll be wanting to instill into the young talent we’ll be working with. Find out people’s true passions and direct them to the right path. I know it’s sounds all mushy, but the important thing is NOT for them to be doing something they’re just good in, but something that will interest them, make them happy, make them have an inner motivation to push the boundariesof whatever career path they’re in rather than slowly plodding along a meaningless 9 to 5.
Finally, although it was the main title:
PC4 TRAINING
This Friday we’ll have a 9 to 3ish workshop that will allow us to become a “Community of Enquiry” provider.
Filed under: Beacon For Wales, Cardiff University, Training | Tagged: Beacon, Beacon For Wales, Cardiff University, For, PC4 training, Wales, Workshop | Leave a Comment »
Beacon For Wales – Talent Leader
Posted on April 18, 2009 by Jay Montano
About three weeks ago, I stumbled upon an intruiging announcement about a project called “Beacon For Wales – Talent Leader”.
[Cardiff University's Blackboard]
An application form and an interview later, I became one of four undergraduates representing the biosciences department. The other faculties involved are sociology, engineering and journalism, so that’s sixteen of us in total.
But what is ‘Beacon for Wales’ about?
Well, what it’s not about is the Brecon Beacons.
From what I gather it’s about boosting supply of talent into higher education. As talent leaders, we’ll be working with department staff to set up activities centred on uncovering how university can maximise their talents and direct them to the best possible career paths.
Here’s info about the Beacons project in general:
“The Beacons for Public Engagement project is one of the biggest initiative ever launched to support public engagement throughout the UK. Funded by the UK higher education funding councils, Research Councils UK (RCUK) and the Wellcome Trust, it has a simple goal: achieving a more joined up and strategic approach to public engagement.
The six beacons – collaborative centres made up of a number of higher education institutions and their partners – will be at the forefront of efforts to change the culture in universities, assisting staff and students to engage with the public. Their partners include further education colleges, museums, galleries, businesses, charities, TV and press, and public bodies. The National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement will provide leadership and will work with the beacons, funders, policy-makers, and the whole HE sector to make engaging with the public a key part of what it is to be an academic.
What are the talent leaders going to do?
We’ll find out the exact details after our first meeting this Wednesday (22nd April). What I do know is talent leaders will be responsible for face to face and online communication between young people, as well as setting up department orientated workshops. As there’s a focus on digital story telling, I’ll be keeping blog updates too.
Here are some links for more information about the Beacon for Wales project.
“Wales’ leading lights to become Beacon for Wales and public engagement”
- Cardiff University, “New Welsh Beacon brings universities and public closer together”
- Cardiff University, “Young People’s Learning gets a boost from the Beacons”
- Public Engagement,”Beacons for public engagement”
- Research Council UK, “The Beacon for Wales”
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From what I gathered, if we thought we were busy with just normal university life, we may be in for a shock with this.
Filed under: Beacon For Wales, Cardiff University | Tagged: Beacon for Public Engagement, Beacon For Wales, Cardiff, Cardiff Unviersity, University | Leave a Comment »
Hello world!
Posted on March 31, 2009 by Jay Montano
Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!
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