Category: Courses

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Pre-University Summer School Students Explore London

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Last week our Pre-University Summer School students took to the streets of London on a number of class excursions. They used London as a classroom to enhance their studies in Medicine, Business Management, Law, Politics and Psychology.

Politics students were treated to a tour of the House of Commons, which is located only a short walk from both our Strand and Waterloo campuses, whilst our Law students visited the Royal Courts of Justice.

big ben

Our Psychology class visited the IoPPN for their class trip and, according to Student Ambassador Deborah Ayodele, students ‘…had the opportunity to see a mock MRI and understand a bit more about what it entails. Many were surprised to hear of its cost, as we were told even the mock scanners were an expensive £1 million +. It was a very informative session about the additional diagnostic methods used.’

Shoreditch

Our Business Management students visited Shoreditch’s Silicon Roundabout. They learnt about the ‘flat white’ economy of the area whilst also discovering new and innovative ways of working. This included a visit to Ziferblat (a co-working space) and a glimpse at the Vice offices and the Google Campus. Students were also treated to a look at the exciting Box Park in Shoreditch, as well as the many walls of street art in the area.

Sadie Sweetland our Pre-University Coordinator said, ‘…students ended up really enjoying the tour and learnt a lot about how the area is growing due to an influx of new businesses. They also got to catch a lot of Pokémon which I think was an additional bonus for a lot of them!”

 

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London… As told by our Fulbright Institute students

fulbright students

For three weeks this summer we welcomed four talented ladies to participate in the Fulbright-King’s College London Summer Institute. This three week cultural and academic programme gave Angel, Hannah, Miranda and Alaina the opportunity to experience life in London, whilst studying Children’s Literature at King’s.

During their time in London the students blogged about the opportunities that faced them whilst studying and living in the city. They were asked to also produce a multimedia project about how they would describe their experience at King’s and how they would choose to represent this. And this is what they come up with…

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Throwback Thursday: King’s College London Undergraduate Summer School

Untitled designMy name is Chih-I. When I was a King’s College London Summer School student in 2010, I was only 19 years old. I decided to spend the summer at King’s for several reasons.

First, I intended to improve my English by fully immersing myself in an English-speaking country. Second, King’s was reported in the year to be one of the top 25 universities in the world. For a student like me who cares so much about the teaching quality and the academic environment, King’s immediately attracted my attention.

Moreover, the campus as well as the accommodation provided were just perfectly located in the city centre: close to Covent Garden, the Strand Campus was also three-minute walk from Temple Station; the accommodation on Stamford Street was next to Waterloo Station, one of the London underground hubs, which enabled me to reach anywhere in the shortest time. Finally, considering the diverse backgrounds of the student group at King’s Summer School, I knew that I would be able to meet people from all over the world, each one with different culture and life experience. This has definitely constituted an ‘added value’ for my King’s Summer School experience.

Although I majored in Law in my home university, I decided to study musicology at King’s Summer School. Studying musicology does not mean to learn to play an instrument, as opposed to what one may think. Musicology is the scholarly research on music, a branch of humanities. In the three-week course, we addressed various issues regarding the interaction among music/art genre/style, political environment, and urban development in London. Outside the course, we went to up to 5 or 6 concerts/shows/musicals in the evening. We then discussed some of the artistic elements in these performances with reference to what we had talked about in the seminars. As for my final essay, I explored the self-identity of different personas in Pucini’s opera ‘La Bohème’ in relation to the socio-economic context in Italy in the 19th century.

The summer school has exerted positive influence on my later life in different aspects. First, it allowed me to know better the higher education system in the UK, particularly in terms of types of supervision and support one student can receive from the professor. It was from that moment that I came up with the idea to come to the UK for my master studies. The experience of living in one of the biggest cities in the world was marvellous, needless to say.

However, the best part of the summer school, in my opinion, was that I have made friends from all over the world: France, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Russia, Taiwan, and the US, to name only a few. I have been able to keep in touch with some of the friends since the end of the programme, and have managed to pay them a visit in their countries, despite the distance. Some of them even helped me enormously with my master thesis. The wonderful fruit of our friendship was something that I did not anticipate before starting the programme at King’s.

Six years later, when I recall the old college days, I cannot help but be amazed by how the Summer School has strung our life together. Thank you King’s for creating such a superb memory in my life!

By Chih-I CHANG
Current MPhil student in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics at the University of Cambridge

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The EU In/Out Referendum

This blog entry takes a critical look at the UK in/out referendum on the European Union, now a mere six weeks away, through the lens of Political Science. Questions about the meaning of security and sovereignty are raised, offering a measured review of expectations and outcomes. The blog shows the breadth of the referendum question and allows the curious mind to glimpse more behind the grinding rhetoric of the opposing campaign sides.

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King’s College London Obstetrics and Gynaecology Summer School

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During the long summer holiday following second year, I had a lot of free time to work with and I wanted to make the most of it, so I applied to the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Summer School. Part of this decision was that I wanted to start exploring what specialties I might consider pursuing later in my career but also because I was anxious about starting clinical medicine and wanted to face my fears head on. I’m glad I did because the programme was a gentle introduction to clinics. I really appreciated the chance to figure out how learn in the clinical environment without the pressure of assessment, sign offs and firm heads to answer to.

The best part of the programme by far was the student mentor I was assigned. Our student mentor was immensely helpful and went above and beyond to make sure we had a productive week. He was with us in clinics and surgeries, offered impromptu teaching sessions and when all these were saturated he even offered himself as a dummy to let us practise venepuncture. The words “role model” sound cliché but watching him confidently manoeuvre his way through the wards gave me the confidence to do the same and assert myself in the clinical environment. I think it’s really important to have role models in clinics and we often think of them as our consultants but the Summer School showed me I have just as much to learn from my near peers.

The course itself was intensive as it was just a week but pitched at just the right level for pre-clinical students. It covered a wide range of clinics; both nurse and consultant-led so we observed the roles played by every member of the team. It was also the first time I ever got to see surgery, which was really exciting. Most importantly, despite St Thomas being a big hospital, all the staff we met were friendly, approachable and eager to involve you wherever you went.

If I had to name just one thing I took away from this experience it is the gratitude I have to be a part of the medical profession. The summer school showed me that the trust patients place in their doctors and midwives is immense and I felt privileged to be present at moments as life changing as childbirth. The team at St Thomas’ were passionate and committed to every one of their patients, no matter how big or small the case. To that end, the Summer School has left me with lessons I will carry with me forever in both my professional and personal life.

 

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My time at the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Summer School

obs

As a final year medical student I was due to spend Summer 2015 on an elective in Belize. When this fell through at the last minute I ended up doing my elective in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at St Thomas’ Hospital. Following this I was invited to be a mentor in their summer school alongside 5 other final year students.

The summer school took place over five days, with each mentor being assigned four students. On the first day of the summer school we mentors taught the students basic obstetric and gynaecological examinations and skills. The students were then given a timetable for the rest of the week where they would attend clinics and theatre to get an idea of the specialty. In addition to their time spent in the hospital, we asked the students to prepare a very brief presentation on something about the course that they had found particularly interesting. The students presented these to the mentors and course organisers on the final day of the course and we had a small ceremony where they received certificates for their participation.

The course proved to be a valuable experience for both students and mentors. As mentors we got to experience what it feels like to be responsible for a group of colleagues, trying to ensure that they got the best learning experience they could. This wasn’t always easy due to the busy nature of obstetrics and gynaecology, but for the most part we managed to make sure everyone got to experience all areas and had an enjoyable time.

It definitely made me personally appreciate how much work goes into organising our medical course and develop a new respect for the people who do so. For the students, the course gave them an excellent insight into a new specialty, with the chance to practice skills that most don’t get the chance to learn until 4th year and the opportunity to practice their presenting skills which are a big part of medicine.

Overall the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Summer School proved to be one of the things that turned my makeshift elective in the UK into a really enjoyable and worthwhile experience I would highly recommend it to both those interested in being a student or a mentor.

By Isabella Fernandes

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What is great about teaching on the Summer School?

UntitledThe Summer School should be fun. But also achieve interpersonal growth and fire up passion for higher education. Still further, amidst the busy lives of young people, it should bring about such outcomes with speed and panache; most certainly, it should be a substantive variation on information available via Wiki, FB, Twitter, et cetera. So, what is it like to teach faced with such challenges?

I teach Politics and International Relations and my experience has shown that the humanities encourage creativity. I still want students to read without worry they’d be called nerds if they do so also over the summer. A vital tool of Summer School teaching is the practice of the subject. My students partake in daily strategy games, such as negotiations and simulations, like the United Nations Security Council Reform Group; international trade games; smart city building exercises, and the rest.

My own expertise is key to inspiring and supporting creativity. It comes from constantly researching the subject matter of political science. A great enabler of this is seeing students as a lively focus group that literally takes the pulse of the course through their seminal comments and feedback. Because I teach international students in London and then also take Politics and IR ‘on the road’ to India, my students cover between them a substantive portion of the globe and bring together a myriad of views and expectations. Making sense of the world is about acquiring a key skill, which is the ability to separate information from knowledge. One of the most memorable sayings I heard, whilst lecturing in India, was: “Google cannot find your slippers in the Temple” (which in Hindi translates into something like: Google Apni Chappal Mandir Se Nahi Dhoond sakta.) Indeed, my students often find that social media is a phenomenal way to exchange beacons, whilst the Summer School enables the connection of a great series of these to create a whole and gain a different (critical!) understanding of the world altogether.

In my next entry, I will offer a practical example of this, focusing on the forthcoming UK in/out EU referendum, now only weeks away!

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Literature in the City

lit in the city

It has been six months since studying at the King’s College London Undergraduate Summer School. However, every time I think of my fantastic experience my heart is still filled with pleasure. What I acquired there was not only the learning experience in class, but also living independently in a foreign country. Life in London taught me new ways to express myself, as well as gaining courage to turn my classmates into friends.

The course I studied in King’s was Literature in the City, which focused on reading and discussing the literary materials related to the city of London. In the Chinese-speaking culture I am used to, the tutor would directly and exactly tell students what the writer wants to claim in the literary pieces; however, things were totally different here. What you thought about the reading materials and how to share your own opinions to the classmates were important. We were divided into small groups, trying to reach mutual understandings, convincing our peers and being convinced.

Besides the discussions in the classroom, we had paid many visits to the spots where literary episodes were based on. Including the house Yeats lived in and the enclosed underground tunnels that people lived during Blitz. What’s more, we also took a boat  down to River Thames, the river that exists in almost every narrative of the city, and embracing history and innovation at the same moment. I still remember my tutor, George, a young and amiable scholar who was always analytical and calm in the classroom, became animated when we were travelling down the river.

I have some glorious and unique memories from my stay in King’s, forever printed in my mind: the sunny weekend in Hampstead Heath, loitering in the many museums and cathedrals. The most impressive was my encounter with an old considerate British gentleman in Royal Albert Hall, who helped me kindly with every detail so that I could enjoy a concert.

In the opening event of summer school, the speaker once told us that all of us had the equal chance to build connections with others and make our time during the summer school remarkable. Fortunately I had made the best use of my time during the summer and thankfully I seized the chance to join in with all of the activities, earning myself a brilliant time in London.

Yun Lin, Undergraduate Summer School 2015

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Meet The Team

 

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Hello from the entire Summer Programmes Office! It’s been an exciting few months for us here in London, what with welcoming a number of new team members and receiving your applications to our various summer programmes. So we thought we would introduce ourselves to you all and to let you know, if we had the chance, what Undergraduate Summer School module we would study and why…

“The Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine has a history of nurturing some of history’s best scientific minds. From the discovery of the structure of DNA, vitamins and beta blockers to the pioneering work on end of life care, researchers at Kings have made life changing contributions to the field of Biosciences. This module is a chance to be taught by scientific heroes”.
Dr Sarah Williamson, Director of Summer Programme

“They all sound so wonderful I think it would be so hard to choose – all of them academically intensive, yet challenging and thought provoking. And I love the fact you get to use London as a classroom”.
Ian Fielding, Deputy Director Summer Programmes

“I’m a great fan of TV Crime Dramas like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Silent Witness and Waking the Dead, so it would be great to uncover the fact from the fiction in terms of the real world of forensic science. Studying Forensic Science would also give me an excuse to return to my sartorial heydays of wearing a long white laboratory coat and protective eye goggles on a daily basis. I would also pick the Entrepreneurship module because essentially it is all about creating value and identifying opportunities. The module is very ‘market’ focused and would give participants the chance to identify their entrepreneurial potential, explore their creativity and develop a range of skills and knowledge that could be applied in any professional contexts”.
Michael Bedward MBA FHEA, Teaching Fellow (Short Courses)

“I remember studying Latin at school for seven long years. When I once had the chance to sit in on an Intensive Latin Summer School class during its second week I was amazed by how much vocabulary the students knew and about their cultural insights too. It is hard to thoroughly learn a new language from scratch when you are busy. That’s why I would take the very intensive and well structured Ancient Greek course on the Undergraduate Summer School”.
Dr Alexander Heinz, Academic Convenor Summer Programmes

“I would choose the Consumer Behaviour module because I am fascinated by what motivates people to make purchase decisions, and how technology keeps changing and shaping their behaviour”.
Miriam Menkarius, Senior Marketing Officer Summer Programmes

“I love reading and learning about different aspects of psychology which makes the module, Profiling and Psychology of Terrorism, really interesting to me. I’ve sat in on a couple of these classes and the tutor really knows her stuff, bringing in exciting guest speakers who are inspiring and relevant to this field”.
Laura Carseldine, Summer Programmes Manager

“For me, spending the summer studying plays and visiting theatres would be a dream come true so I would choose Theatrical London.  I think it would be fascinating to learn more about London’s illustrious theatrical history and to build my knowledge of the key plays and cultural spaces that define it.  The close proximity of King’s to London’s theatre district also means there are plenty of opportunities to see the latest productions, from West End shows to fringe theatre events.  Sign me up now!”
Zoe Hamilton, Summer Programmes Manager 

“I would choose the Public Health module as I am fascinated by how health care professionals plan and deliver health services in conflict and non-conflict zones. The current migrant crisis has created places such as the ‘Calais Jungle’ which have no government co-ordinated support infrastructures which are fertile ground for the breakout of epidemics. Public Health professionals are able to put in place simple and basic medical practices that could avoid the spread of disease.”
Fahema Ettoubi, Summer Programmes Officer (Admissions)

“Reading has always been a big part of my life, particularly during my childhood, so the bookworm in me would definitely choose the  Wonderland: 100 Years of Children’s Literature module. The opportunity to study some of my favourite pieces of children’s literature from a historical, political and moral stand point would be extremely captivating and getting to do all this in the heart of London is such a great experience. Something I wish I would have done during my studies'”.
Sage Fitzpatrick, Summer Programmes Officer (Operations, Marketing and Events)

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Global Energy Politics

The course provides insights into international politics in general (main mechanisms, theories and concepts) and into the field of international energy politics in particular.  We will study a wide variety of actors involved in energy policy-making: states (energy importers, energy exporters and transit states), intergovernmental organisations, industry, NGOs; the formal and informal connections between these actors and the outcome of their interaction on the global stage. We will engage with issues such as energy security, the geopolitics of energy, conflict over natural resources, the curse of natural resources in resource rich developing countries, as well as the politics of climate change and their implications for global energy policy.

Renewable Energy Solar Panels in Tokelau; Copyright: United Nations Photo/ Ariane Rummery
Renewable Energy Solar Panels in Tokelau; Copyright: United Nations Photo/ Ariane Rummery

The course includes lectures on cutting-edge topics and interactive seminars. During this course, learning will take place in a very direct and hands on manner. You will meet with representatives of the corporate, non-profit and governmental energy sector and get the chance to ask them questions about their work and their expertise areas.  The schedule includes a visit to an energy production facility, as well as a dynamic two-day simulation of political climate change negotiations. This will allow you to place yourselves in the shoes of top policy makers and attempt to solve some of the biggest challenges of our time: increasing pollution, energy resources scarcity and climate change.

UN Climate Change Conference in Doha; Copyright: United Nations Photo/ Mark Garten
UN Climate Change Conference in Doha; Copyright: United Nations Photo/ Mark Garten

You can find more information about the course at: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/summer/programmes/undergraduatesummerschool/modules/Kingslegallondon/Global-Energy-Politics.aspx

Do drop me a line if you have any questions at amb225@cam.ac.uk. I would love to hear from you.

I am looking forward to meeting you and working with you in July.

Alexandra M Bocse, Course Tutor