From the chalkface

Published on Tuesday 8 September 2009 19:10

EDINBURGH University has appointed five new heads of school.

Professor Simon Clark becomes head of the school of economics, Professor Charlie Jeffery, head of the school of social and political science and Professor Dave Robertson, head of the school of informatics, beginning their work at the start of this academic term.

Dr Pat McLaughlin assumes leadership of the Moray House School of Education on 1 October, and Professor Alvin Jackson becomes head of the school of history, classics and archaeology in January.

&#149 THE first Polish student president in Scotland began work at Edinburgh Napier this week. Kasia Bylinska, 22, from Szczecinwas voted president of the student body and will now oversee integration projects for the university's large overseas student population.

&#149 DR ROSITSA Bateson has been appointed as the Pro Vice-Chancellor of Abertay University in Dundee, arriving from the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary.

She will be responsible for recruitment and student experience and will also work as a professor of higher education management.

Meanwhile, Lord Cullen of Whitekirk has been installed as the university's new chancellor.

NEWS

UNDERLINING the school's conscientious credentials, Biggar Primary has announced it has achieved Fairtrade status.

The award was made during the summer holiday after the school arranged a series of events promoting the concept of Fairtrade. This included a school assembly, a display and a series of activities run during a Fairtrade fortnight in February and March.

The school has already been awarded an Eco Schools Scotland Green Flag in recognition of its environmental work.

&#149 AN EDINBURGH school pupil is celebrating after achieving the highest possible mark in her GCSE chemistry exam.

Olga Alapiki, 17, from Merchiston, who is a pupil at the Edinburgh Rudolf Steiner School, scored 400 out of a possible 400, gaining an A* grade, in the examination she sat in June.

The AQA examination board congratulated Olga on the result, describing it as a "very notable achievement".

&#149 ALL of the Scottish competitors at the recent Worldskills competition for vocational achievement walked away with medals – two of them gold.

The competition, in its 40th year, sees students in vocational education from 51 countries compete in challenges in industrial trades and service sectors.

Four competitors from Scotland took part, with Mark Nevin, 22, from Edinburgh, winning gold in the painting and decorating category and Richard Sagar, 22, from Eden Electrics in Langholm, coming first in electrical installation.

Katie Watson, 21, who works at the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, won bronze in the restaurant service category and Martin Eusebi, 21, from Motherwell firm MB Aerospace, was a warded a medal of excellence in mechanical engineering.

&#149 ONLINE learning will be used to help pupils from more than eight schools in the Highlands study for the Higher psychology exam after Inverness College UHI and Highland Council launched a course to help pupils in rural areas.

The "blended learning" course, which launched on 29 August, will see staff from the college deliver online and face-to-face seminars to around 60 pupils from schools including Kinlochbervie and Golspie.

EVENTS

"IS HUMAN evolution over?" is the question posed by geneticist Steve Jones at a public lecture at Edinburgh University on 22 September.

At the event, Professor Jones, who works at University College London, but is an Edinburgh graduate, will argue signs indicate a slowing, or halting of human evolution – at least in the developed world.

The lecture is part of the University's Enlightenment series of talks and takes place in the McEwan Hall at 6pm. For further information, visit www.ed.ac.uk.