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As 2020 draws to a close, we’d like to wish our Alumni, Supporters and Friends a very Merry Christmas for when it comes.
But before switching off for the year, we encourage you to delve once more into the happenings of Abertay and its community. Our alumni have continued to adapt and thrive in the throes of the pandemic, and our academics have revealed a mixture of fun and fearsome research over the past few months in addition to securing new funding for exciting new projects and collaborations. Topped off with an array of virtual events to schedule into your diary, we hope you enjoy this year's final edition of Communitay.
News from the Alumni Network
Konglomerate Games has won Santander Entrepreneurship Award
Konglomerate Games, a start-up company consisting of recent graduates, has won top prize of £30,000 at the 2020 annual Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Awards. Run by Jamie Bankhead, Konglomerate Games specialises in developing healthcare games to improve lives. A huge congratulations to Jamie and the team for their amazing achievement!
Scotland's Carribean slavery connections
Honorary Graduate Professor Sir Geoff Palmer wrote an incredibly interesting article for us to mark the beginning of this year's Black History Month.
I have felt it is my duty to discuss the truth of this history with institutions and individuals. The attention given so far to this history has been very positive and will change our attitudes to racism for the better. We are one Scotland…one Humanity, nothing less.
Launching Go Gym in lockdown
Concerned for the health and wellbeing of others during lockdown, Valerie Duguid reacted quickly to launch online fitness hub GO Gym. GO Gym provides high-quality tailored exercise and nutritional programmes for everyone, from fitness fanatics to those suffering from chronic illnesses.
Designing something out of this world
Games graduates Jack Gullen and Rafe Johnson have had the incredible opportunity of using virtual and augmented reality to help design the interior the world's first commercial spaceship for Virgin Galactic as part of their work with Seymourpowell. The spaceship cabin reveal took place via live stream in the summer, and was brought to life with the help of an immersive augmented reality app which both Jack and Rafe helped to create as Creative Technologist and 3D Artist.
Watch the reveal of Virgin Galactic's Spaceship Cabin Design
International videogames company expands Abertay scholarship offering
International videogames company Ninja Kiwi is to expand its scholarship at Abertay University, offering two students £1,500 donations to support their studies.
The successful applicants will also receive invaluable month-long summer placements at the company’s Dundee studio, gaining work experience and the chance to build key contacts.
Abertay University has a strong relationship with Ninja Kiwi Europe, with co-founders and Executive Vice Presidents David Hamilton and Barry Petrie two of the University’s most successful graduates.
Emerging cyber threats in the working from home era
To compliment Abertay's Cybersecurity Webinar Series, Ethical Hacking graduate Lewis Allan has written an extremely interesting article about emerging cyber threats based on his insights as a Cyber Threat Analyst at Raymond James.
Companies need to stop seeing their employees as liabilities for security mistakes. The best defence are your employees who are actively trained and updated on cyber security events with knowledge on notifying the relevant team on suspicious activity.
Lowdown from the Campus
Abertay and Verdant Works online jute exhibition launches
The exhibition looks at the University's connection with the historic jute industry
Researchers recover 75,000 'deleted' files from pre-owned USB drives
Tax returns, CVs and bank statements were among the files retired
Research project provides insight into golfer lockdown habits
Golfers found creative ways to practice during the early days of the COVID pandemic
Innovative project to use games technology to develop perfect potato
Artificial intelligence will be used in an innovative project
InGAME announces two new R&D Collaborations
EvoRevo and Game Doctor will receive support from teh InGAME R&D Centre
Insect-based porridge to tackle malnutrition
Abertay is leading a £1 million project to tackle malnutrition in Zimbabwe
Abertay signs Researcher Development Concordat
The Concordat is an agreement to improve support for researchers and researcher careers in higher education
Abertay student makes final of national law competition
Michael Davidson is to compete in the national finals of a prestigious competition for law students
Food giants Macphie expands Aberay scholarship offering
The company is offering a £3,000 donation to help a student with their studies
Events and Opportunities
Webinar: The Risks and Rewards of IoT
Wednesday 9th December
11.10am - 12.00pm GMT
The Risks and Rewards of IoT is the second event in our Cybersecurity Webinar Series. The webinar will begin with our guest speakers highlighting some of the incredible benefits that IoT infrastructure can bring to businesses of all shapes and sizes and in turn the lives of their consumers. Focus will then shift to discuss 'of the moment' security concerns associated with IoT, reflecting on what businesses should be considering to inform and futureproof their IoT security strategies.
Hosted by Dr Ian Ferguson, Senior Cybersecurity Lecturer at Abertay.
Ian will be joined by Andy Bridden (IoT Expert, PA Consulting), Dr Cade Wells (Business Development Consultant, CENSIS), Ian Todd (IoT Practice Lead, BlackBerry) and Professor Karen Renaud (Cybersecurity Lecturer, Abertay University).
A Factory in Miniature
Launched Friday 6th November
Ongoing Digital Exhibition
Abertay University has teamed up with one of Dundee’s best-loved tourist attractions to launch a fascinating online exhibition exploring the University’s historic connections to the jute industry.
Developed in conjunction with Verdant Works, Scotland’s jute museum, A Factory in Miniature: Abertay University and Jute Training 1889-1984 launched last month.
The exhibition has allowed us to explore and bring together objects and documents in ways which we haven’t had the opportunity to do before" - Mel Ruth Oakley, Curator, Verdant Works
Take part in our Memories Preservation Project
Abertay University Archives is making a call for people’s memories of the university and its predecessor institutions as part of its new project “Memories Re-Animated”.
It is collecting memories of the history of the institution through a newly designed portal that will allow members of the public to submit video or audio recordings of their stories about the university, and anything else they might have relating to it such as images of photographs. Their memories will become part of a project to expand historical knowledge about the university through the voices of the people that were part of it, and provide the community that it has served with an opportunity to add to its archive collections.
Competitions and Funding
Santander Tech Scholarships
Closing date: 30th December 2020
Santander are offering up 400 Tech Scholarships granting access to study one of 4 online Emerging Technology Programs provided by MIT Professional Education.
As a member of the Santander Universities Network, these scholarships are open to applications from Abertay University students and graduates alongside those of other University partners. Applicants must be aged between 20 – 35 years old and can be studying or have studied any course at undergraduate or postgraduate level.
#InvestInYou
Until next time,
Abertay
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