News 2007
Plenty of opportunities for computing graduates (Dec 07)
A recent article in The Times has highlighted the surfeit of vacancies in the computing industry: last year British universities produced only 13,000 graduate and postgraduate degree holders at a time when there were over 62,000 vacancies in the UK for employees with their qualifications!
This is confirmed by Computer Weekly who report that Logica has even resorted to hiring school-leavers.
Although this may cause difficulties for the industry as a whole, it is very good news for individual graduate job seekers.
The article featured interviews with Computing Science Head of Department, Dr Miltos Petridis, and recent graduate Shahzad Qadir (MSc Mobile Computing and Communications).
Dr Petridis commented that "courses are becoming more specialised and tightly focused on an institution's research strengths and business links", whilst Shahzad, who landed a job at Morgan Stanley said his degree "focused on the management tools that we are using at Morgan Stanley. I had used them on my project and that was an important factor in being accepted".
Computer Weekly article
CMS case study week prize-winners (Dec 07)
 Some of the prize-winners and staff |
Prizes have just been awarded to the winners of the case study week.
During this week, students form themselves into teams to run a typical computing project, producing software, reports and presentations.
As well as getting a break from their more formal studies, the students gain skills in communication, project management, team working, problem solving and creative design, all vital for working in today's computer industry.
Twelve students were awarded a prize; they included the winning team - Sonia Anon Remuinan, Nicole Daley, Claudio Gigante Fernandes, Elizabeth Mengistu, Lauren Roberts and Akelachi Wahua - as well as a further six students - Karmveer Punia, Graham Marsh, Raymond Aderogba-Balogun, Bader Albader, Wayne Hoang and Anna-Marie Benning - who had the best personal evaluations.
Some of the prize-winners and staff are pictured above - from left to right, Julie Watkins (case study week coordinator), Karmveer Punia, Wayne Hoang, Nicole Daley, Akelachi Wahua and Dr Liz Bacon (Head of School).
Further details of case study week
CMS involved in international project on teaching spreadsheets (Nov 07)
Following an invited talk at a conference in Paris, lecturer Dave Chadwick has been invited to participate as UK representative in the Didatab (Didactique du Tableur) project on how to teach spreadsheets.
This is an international project involving participants from France, Belgium, Switzerland and Greece.
The conference concerned spreadsheet teaching in secondary schools (baccaleureate) and at undergraduate level and was run by the French government-funded STEF (Science Techniques Education Formation) initiative.
Dave commented: 'it is good to know that research into HOW we teach is just as important as research into WHAT we teach.'
CMS skills week winners (Sep 07)
 The winning team |
Prizes have just been awarded to the winners of the first year skills week.
During this week, 350 students, from all computing, information systems and multimedia degrees, form themselves into teams to run a small company as part of a business simulation game, producing appropriate documents, reports and presentations.
As well as getting a break from their more formal studies, the students gain skills in communication, project management, team working, problem solving and creative design, all vital for working in today's computer industry.
The team pictured above gained straight distinctions in all skills for each student, only the second time this ever has been done, and are the winners.
They will go on to represent the University in the IBM Universities Business Challenge (teams from CMS have previously reached the semi-finals earlier in 2007 and in 2005).
The winning team - from left to right, Edwin Hodges, Danny Christof, Eshan Oreeawon, Maria Pretorius and Alex Clark - are pictured here with head of School, Dr Liz Bacon.
Further details of skills week
IT pay on the increase (Sep 07)
The latest news from the BCS is that IT pay is on the increase and that the "future remains financially bright".
In an analysis of detailed pay surveys, Paul Campfield reports that "IT is still a well-paid area of employment" and, more importantly for new graduates, "staff at the entry level ... enjoy higher rates of year-on-year increases".
Furthermore, demand is indicated by the fact that "half of employers [are] experiencing difficulties in attracting suitable candidates".
Of course, not all CMS graduates end up in IT - there are a diverse range of opportunities out there and for example
John Murphy (BSc Computing Science, 1988) is now President and Chief Operating Officer of Celerity, a global leader in providing precision instruments to the semiconductor and electronics industries, whilst Dave Rowntree (HND Computing) took a completely different direction and became the drummer of Blur!
Read the BCS news item
Merit Awards for Outstanding Achievement (Aug 07)
In a new initiative, the University is celebrating outstanding achievement amongst its students with the introduction of merit awards.
The awards include a medal, a certificate and a cheque.
The following CMS students were presented with University merit awards at their graduation ceremonies:
Muna Alsaadi (BSc Hons Mathematics, Statistics and Computing),
Nithin Ansari (BSc Hons Computing Science),
Nicola Auld (HND Computing),
Allen Bratchell (BSc Hons Mathematics),
Dale Coley (BSc Hons Web Technologies),
Bwalya Katongo (BSc Hons Computing),
Nabeel Moghal (BEng Hons Software Engineering)
and
Muhammad Yaqoob (BSc Hons Information Systems with Business).
The University also recognises outstanding achievement amongst overseas students in years 1 and 2 of their degree and merit awards were given to the following CMS students under the International Scholars scheme:
N. Reddy (BSc Hons Computing),
Milad Saberi (BSc Hons Computing with Multimedia),
Maria Pretorius (BSc Hons Computer Systems and Networking)
and
Hing Choi Wong (BSc Hons Computing Science)
The merit awards take their place alongside CMS' own prizes, two of which are awarded in conjunction with the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA), the professional body for mathematics.
This year the following students were awarded CMS prizes:
- Noel-Ann Bradshaw (BSc Hons Mathematics) - IMA/CMS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Mathematics
- Peter Cranmer (BSc Hons Computing Science) - CMS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Computing Science
- Emma Ede (BSc Hons Information Systems) - CMS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Information Systems
- Nicholas Gibson (BSc Hons Computing) - CMS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Computing
- Muna Gulamhussein (BSc Hons Business Information Technology) - CMS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Business Information Technology
- Hyunjun Kim (BSc Hons Mathematics) - IMA/CMS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Mathematics
- Linda O'Sullivan (MSc Computing and Information Systems) - CMS Postgraduate Information Systems Award
- Natalie Scopelitis (MSc Internet Technology and e-Commerce) - CMS Postgraduate Computer Science award
Multinology - the CMS Multimedia Degree Show (May 07)
This year's multimedia degree show, Multinology, will showcase work created by students graduating from CMS's suite of multimedia degrees: BSc (Hons) Multimedia Technology, BSc (Hons) Multimedia & Internet Technology, BSc (Hons) Web Technologies and BSc (Hons) Games & Multimedia Technologies.
The show starts on Thursday 31st May (6pm - 8.30pm) and is open on Friday 1st & Saturday 2nd June 12 to 4pm in King William Court.
Please take time to come and wander around the exhibits including creative websites, edutainment CD-Roms, digital video, 3D animation and computer games and try them out.
Multinology website
SEGS is IGS - good news for international students (May 07)
Good news for international students - as of 1st May 2007, the Science and Engineering Graduates Scheme (SEGS) has evolved into the International Graduates Scheme (IGS).
This new scheme means that all non-EEA students who graduate from a recognised UK University can now apply to work in the UK for up to 12 months upon completion of their studies.
All international students graduating from the University of Greenwich qualify.
More details
Fire Safety paper wins Gold Award (Mar 07)
Members of the Fire Safety Engineering Group are to be presented with the Gold Award and the George Taylor Prize by the Royal Aeronautical Society for the best paper appearing in the The Aeronautical Journal in 2006.
The paper, entitled "CFD Fire Simulation of the SwissAir Flight 111 In-Flight Fire" (parts 1 & 2), described work undertaken by the authors, Dr Fuchen Jia, Dr Mayur Patel, Prof Ed Galea, Dr Angus Grandison and Dr John Ewer, for the Canadian Transportation Safety Board as part of their four year inquiry into the crash.
The investigation has been described as one of the most challenging in aviation history and is also noteworthy as it marks the first time that Computational Fluid Dynamics-based fire simulation was used as part of an official aircraft crash investigation.
Fire Safety Engineering Group website
Cutty Sark KTP project rated outstanding (Mar 07)
 The Cutty Sark |
A Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project to help save the Cutty Sark has been reviewed and rated as "outstanding".
Major restoration work on the endangered Victorian tea clipper, in dry dock next to the Greenwich campus, is now underway, and the project team, led by Professor Chris Bailey, focussed on creating new computer models to test all aspects of the work before it commenced.
The project will now be invited to submit for the annual KTP awards ceremony later this year.
Project website
CMS Royal Institution Masterclasses (Jan 07)
CMS is pleased to announce the following mathematics masterclasses for sixth formers.
The classes are organised by the Royal Institution and will take place at the Greenwich campus.
27 January: Chris Bailey, Saving the Cutty Sark: Mathematics to the rescue of a national treasure
3rd February: Tony Mann, Mathematicians behaving badly: Greenwich's place in the history of mathematics
10th February: Graham Hoare, Number Theory
3rd March: Andre Rzym, Financial Maths
10th March: Terry Heard, Conics
17th March: Chris Walshaw, How Google Works: The wonderful world of networks, graphs and the power method
All masterclasses will take place in Lecture Theatre King William 303 from 10:00-12:30.
If you are interested in attending, please contact Mr Tony Mann.
Directions and map - The Royal Institution
Students Reach Semi-Finals of IBM Challenge (Jan 07)
A team of CMS students have reached the Regional Semi-Final of the IBM Universities Business Challenge 2006/7 in London, sponsored by Chubb Insurance.
The team consists of Ranjdar Abass, Daniel Bradley, Thomas Dawber, Chris Hammond & Liam Richards, all second year students on the Software Engineering and Computer Systems & Networking programmes.
They will be joining 7 other teams from across the region to compete on February 9th in a series of team activities which give members the chance to work as management consultants in a realistic, fictional company, making all the critical business decisions that affect the company's performance.
About the IBM Challenge
Older News
Visit the news archive 2006 for older CMS news stories.