PM singles out Exeter
The Vice-Chancellor Professor Steve Smith joined David Cameron in Beijing earlier this month as part of the UK government mission to China. During the visit, the prime minister included Exeter among other top UK universities that compete globally. The other universities mentioned were: Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, Manchester and Newcastle.

Floella Benjamin Career Development Awards
Penultimate and final year students can win up to £1,000 to help improve their employability and further their career plans. The closing date for applications is 3 December. For more information, please visit the Employability website.

Student Travel Survey
Fill in the Student Travel Survey and have the chance to win one of eight great prizes including: £75 worth of high street vouchers, a pair of tickets for a show at the Northcott Theatre, two Standard Class return train tickets on First Great Western, a LED light set, reflective jackets and bike tool kits donated by Halfords on Sidwell St. The information provided will help shape the University’s Sustainable Travel Plan. It is open to all students based at the Streatham or St. Luke’s campuses. For more information on the survey, please contact: Julia Jack.

Career Mentor Scheme
Second year undergraduates in receipt of an Access to Exeter Bursary, or who are entrepreneurial, can apply to join the Career Mentor Scheme. Successful applicants will be matched with a mentor from the business community or an alumnus. More details can be found on the Employability website. The closing date for applications is 26 November 2010.

Student refuse information
Still confused about refuse collection times? For a reminder about what you can and can't recycle, or to download a useful refuse collection calendar, please go to the Exeter City Council website. Refuse queries can also be answered directly by calling 01392 665010.

Student Counselling Service
Do not suffer in silence: face to face and online counselling is available for students. No problem is too big or too small. If you prefer to write about your concerns, counselling is available via email. We also facilitate relaxation and creative journal writing groups. For appointments, please contact 01392 264381 or email: counselling@exeter.ac.uk.

Engage in equality
The University's Equality Groups (Disability, Gender, LGBT and Race) meet termly to highlight issues around equality and diversity. Open to both staff and student members, the groups aim to send out a message that is welcoming and inclusive of everyone. Anyone interested in joining or finding out more about any of these groups should contact equalityanddiversity@exeter.ac.uk

Get an INSIGHT into British culture
Are you an international student who wants to find out more about British culture? If so, you might be interested in our INSIGHT scheme. This links up international students with the families of University staff members who have volunteered to act as hosts. This may involve being invited to a home for a meal, or perhaps for a trip out to one of the many tourist attractions in the area. For further information, please see the Academic Services website.

Christmas in Exeter
Will you be in Exeter this Christmas? Why not come to our Christmas Day Buffet. Tickets are £5 per head. For more information, please contact Sue Lawrie at isa@exeter.ac.uk. The deadline for booking tickets is Thursday 16 December. To view a full range of events and activities in Exeter over the Christmas period, please visit the Exeter City Council website.

Festivities on campus
A big thank you to everyone who participated in the Diwali celebrations. It was a great afternoon. If you enjoyed yourself, then put Saturday 5 February in your diary for Chinese New Year. We will be celebrating the Year of the Rabbit on Streatham campus.

Award nominations
The University has been shortlisted for two top Times Higher Education awards. The Relays project, a community initiative supported by staff and students and involving other universities in the south west, has been shortlisted for the Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community Award. We have also made the shortlist for the Excellence and Innovation in the Arts Award. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London, on Thursday 25 November.

The Exchange approved
A £10 million investment at the Tremough Campus has been approved. The Exchange will support innovative learning, teaching and research facilities at the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) Campus. Together with other recent CUC initiatives, the project will support the growth of the student population by a quarter by 2016.

The art of presenting art
Photographer Hugo Glendinning’s exhibition ‘White Box Performances’ investigates the role of the photographer in performance documentation. The exhibition is part of the Arts and Humanities Research Council Creative Fellowship programme. This has enabled the Drama department to collaborate with artists of national and international repute. The exhibition will run until 17 December at the Drama Department, Alexander Building, New North Road, Exeter.

Domestic violence awareness week
This week sees the “Domestic Violence and Abuse ‘Is this Love?’” awareness campaign, part of an annual event. This year’s focus is on young people and abusive relationships. Devon and Cornwall Police are using Bluetooth technology to transmit messages about domestic violence to mobile phones on campus this week.

New sculpture for Tremough
A new sculpture ‘The Cornish Trembling Sea Mat’ by renowned local artist Kurt Jackson has been installed at the Tremough campus. It is on display in front of the entrance to the School of Mines.

Event Exeter award
Event Exeter, one of the University’s commercial arms, scooped the gold award for business tourism at the South West Tourism Excellence Awards 2010. It now goes through to the National Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2011 finals in the spring.

Thurs 25 November, 12.30pm
Leaders, Insurgencies, and Foreign Support. Speaker: Giacomo Chiozza (Vanderbilt University).
Jean Monnet Lectures on EU governance
Lunch will be provided at this seminar - please register with s.j.heeks@exeter.ac.uk.
Location: Amory A239AB

Fri 26 November, 2pm
Graham Watson MEP: Building a Liberal Europe - Presentation of a new book
Jean Monnet Lectures on EU governance
Location: Queens 1H

Fri 3 December, 9am-12.40pm
Big Dilemmas Symposium: The Future of Renewable Energy in the UK – lessons from the Severn Barrage. To reserve a place, please email: bigdilemma@exeter.ac.uk.
Locations: Tremough: DuMaurier Lecture A. Streatham: Harrison HAR/004. The symposium will be video conferenced and will have speakers at both locations.

Fri 3 December, 1pm-2pm
Sculpture lecture: Honorary graduate Peter Randall-Page will deliver a one-off lecture on sculpture, including his recent work on loan, ‘Flayed Stone II’.
Location: LT1, Queens Building

Thurs 9 December, 5.30pm
Film: The Little Town of Bethlehem, shown by EXCEPS (Exeter Centre for Ethno-Political Studies).
Location: Lecture theatre, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies

Northcott Highlights

Until Sat 27 November
Acclaimed production of Alan Bennett’s ‘The Madness of King George’, starring Simon Ward and Susan Penhaligon.
Tickets, priced from £12 to £20 available online from the Northcott Box Office or via 01392 493 493.
Post Show Talk: Thurs 25 November.

Sun 28 November, 7.30pm
Classical Concert Series 2010/11
Canadian violinist Katie Stillman and British pianist Simon Lane play Schubert, Ravel, Britten and Elgar.

Wed 1 to Fri 3 December, 7.30pm
Vamos Theatre presents ‘Nursing Lives’, a celebration of nurses at work and play during World War II.