Elsewhere at Warwick: Summer 2016

Here are some summaries of the biggest Warwick University news stories from the summer break:

Warwick Graduate elected President of Iceland

Warwick alumnus Gudni Jóhannesson was elected as President of Iceland in late June. He completed his History and Politics BA at Warwick in 1991. The former University of Iceland lecturer won with just over 39% of the public vote, and was the country’s first new President in 20 years. He took over from President Olafur Grimmson, who had won every election since 1996. The new President, who took up office in August, is the youngest ever president of Iceland, at 48. Not affiliated with any of Iceland’s political parties, he intends to be a “less political” President, according to the Financial Times.

Warwick student stages protest at Graduation

At this year’s graduation ceremonies, PPE graduate Connor Woodman held up a banner condemning an injunction on occupation style protests at Warwick. The banner, which said “Students Against Injunctions”, was unveiled as Woodman went up to collect his certificate. The injunction was originally taken out to end a protest occupying the Rootes building in December 2014. Woodman said “the High Court injunction is a gross violation of basic liberties. Direct action is a vital part of our democratic life and, outrageously, such tactics are now illegal at the University of Warwick.” Amnesty International has condemned the use of injunctions by Universities against occupation style protest, calling them undemocratic. The injunction still stands.

Warwick team smashes first round of University Challenge

Warwick’s team on BBC television program University Challenge triumphed in their first round by a huge margin against opponents Liverpool University. Maths student Giles Hutchings; French and History student Sophie Hobbs; Computer Science student Sophie Rudd, and History student Thomas Van beat the opposing team 235 points to 95. Although the representatives for Warwick reached only round two last year, it is hoped that this year’s team will go far in the competition. The next rounds will be played after term starts in October.

Theresa May visits Warwick Manufacturing Group

Prime Minister Theresa May and Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond visited Warwick Campus at the beginning of September. They visited the Warwick Manufacturing Group, and were given a tour around the International Manufacturing Centre, intending to find out about developments in research and innovation at the centre. They were met by Warwick’s Provost, Christine Ennew, and the Chairman of WMG, Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya. They were shown designs such as the 3xD Simulator, soon to be used at the Virtual Reality Centre in the National Automotive Innovation Centre, and student project, WarwickSub, a human powered submarine. Vice-Chancellor Stuart Croft expressed his delight at being able to welcome the Prime Minister and the Chancellor to the University so soon after commencing their new roles.

Fire engines on campus for suspected leak

Fire engines were called to campus in early September after a suspected leak from the Chemistry building. The unpleasant smell turned out to be nothing but a blocked drain. Amid fears of a severe chemical emergency, three fire engines were called to Library Road to investigate, but the cause was much less serious than expected. The building was, however, closed overnight to enable the drain to be cleared and the problem rectified. The incident, which acquired the interest of the local news, was initially reported to West Midlands Fire Service as a 999 call reporting a chemical spillage. The Fire Service told the Coventry Telegraph that they sent three fire engines, a duty officer and a hazardous materials specialist to investigate.