A newsletter for PGT
Masters News - Contents
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1. SEMESTER ONE RESULTS
2. MANDATORY EQUALITY DIVERSION AND INCLUSION TRAINING
3. CLOCKS MOVE FORWARD
4. EASTER OPENING HOURS
5. STAFF-STUDENT PROGRAMMING COMPETITION 2022-23
6. UNICS GAME JAM
7. UNICS ALTON TOWERS TRIP
8. MAY BALL
9. CRACKCHESTER HACKERSHUB
10. NORTH WEST CYBER RESILIENCE CENTRE
11. ROBOTICS SOCIETY HACK-A-BOT
12. WEEKLY WELLBEING EVENTS
13. UNICS ELECTION
14. UNIVERSITY TRAVEL AWARD
15. THE MANCHESTER PRIZE
16. UCU STRIKE ACTION
SEMESTER ONE RESULTS
The Semester 1 results have now been released. I hope that you are satisfied with your results. The overall average was 66%, with 35% of students in the distinction band and 42% of students in the merit band (not allowing for boundary zones). These are reasonable overall results, and some students have done very well, but recently we have come to expect a slightly higher percentage of merits and distinctions.
If you have any questions or concerns about your grades, please contact your Advisor.
Norman Paton, PGT Director
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Siyana Gospodinova
MANDATORY EQUALITY DIVERSION AND INCLUSION TRAINING
The Faculty of Science and Engineering has produced some Equality, Diversion and Inclusion (EDI) training that is mandatory for all students. This training has been put together to highlight the benefits of working in a welcoming and inclusive environment, and is aimed at benefiting all students. The training can be found in the EDI folder in the CS PG Community page in Blackboard - see the item “Equality, Diversity and Inclusion - The University of Manchester". It is important that you complete this training, and receive 80% or more in the final test. Failure to complete the test before the end of the semester may result in access to exam results being restricted.
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Siyana Gospodinova
CLOCKS MOVE FORWARD
Please note that on Sunday (26th March) the clocks go forward by 1 hour, when we move into British Summer Time (Greenwich Mean Time +1 hour).
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Siyana Gospodinova
EASTER OPENING HOURS
The Kilburn Building will be open as normal during the Easter vacation, 09:00 - 18:00 Monday to Friday, apart from the period Friday 7th April (Good Friday) to Monday 10th April (Easter Monday), when the Kilburn building will be closed and there will be no access for students. For students holding an extended working hours pass, access is still available when the Kilburn building is open.
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Siyana Gospodinova
STAFF-STUDENT PROGRAMMING COMPETITION 2022-23
This from Ian Pratt-Hartmann: Staff and students in the School of Computer Science are cordially invited to take part in the Staff-student programming competition.
*
Date: Wednesday, 26th April, 2023
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Time: 14:00–17:00
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Location: LF31, Lower first floor, Kilburn Building.
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Registration deadline: Wednesday, 24th April, 2023
The competition is open to staff and students (undergraduate and postgraduate) in Computer Science. Teams will consist of a whole number of persons between 1 and 3 inclusive. Staff teams must have at least one member of staff (including RAs, but excluding PhD students) and must otherwise consist entirely of staff (including RAs) and PhD students. Student teams must consist entirely of students (graduate or undergraduate). No person may be in more than one team. Problems will be given out at the start of the competition. Teams will try to solve as many as they can. Contestants may use any of the supported languages: C, C++, Java, and Python. Each team may bring a laptop computer with the desired compiler(s) installed; alternatively, the lab machines can be used. It is allowed to bring any printed materials into the competition room; however the use of stored electronic files or of the internet to access any sites other than the competition site is forbidden. Refreshments–-free to contestants–-will be provided in the course of the afternoon in the Lower First Floor area. To participate, visit the registration page by the deadline for participation. Space is limited, and teams will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis, subject to a reasonable balance of staff and students.
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Siyana Gospodinova
UNICS GAME JAM
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This from the UniCS team: We are proud to announce our annual Game Jam in 2023!. The game jam will be a 48 hour game development competition wherein participants will be asked to make a game given a specific prompt within a time limit. We aim to accommodate around 75 people in teams of 3. It will be hosted online and people will submit their projects using an itch.io link. The date of this Game Jam will be on the 10th - 12th April 2023. Submissions will be judged by Game Dev team. The top 3 prizes of Game Jam will be :
1.
£150 & shirts
2.
£100
3.
£50.
If this is your jam, then go sign up your interest in this form!
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Siyana Gospodinova
UNICS ALTON TOWERS TRIP
On Friday, 14th of April, we will be heading to the famous theme park for a day of thrilling rides and exciting attractions. It’ll be a nice little addition to a list of things to do during the break. Not only will we be enjoying the rides, but we will also have a chance to explore the park’s stunning gardens and take in the breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. Be sure to keep up with our social media for more updates regarding our tickets and details to our trip.
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Siyana Gospodinova
MAY BALL
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We are thrilled to announce our upcoming May Ball. This year’s event promises to be a night to remember, filled with delicious food, drinks, music, and entertainment. The ball will take place on Friday, May 5th 2023. In addition to meals, we will be arranging a variety of exciting activities throughout the night. From live music, to a photobooth and other surprises, there will be something for everyone to enjoy. Stay tuned with our social media for more updates!
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Siyana Gospodinova
CRACKCHESTER HACKERSHUB
Last week was our last week of workshops before Easter, as we finished with the theme of social engineering. Our next major event will be HackersHub - an ethical hacking/cybersecurity all day event that we will hold in April. Room/location is TBC. There, we will have a capture the flag (CTF) competition, which is a very common style of cybersecurity competition where contestants compete to access a 'flag' or 'key' from a server they need to hack into. We will also have guest speakers from cybersecurity companies. We expect this event to be free for students. Find out more on our website. This is also a great time to plug our socials. Please go find us on Instagram and Twitter with @crackchester.
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Siyana Gospodinova
NORTH WEST CYBER RESILIENCE CENTRE
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Danny Dresner writes: The North West Cyber Resilience Centre - just down Oxford Road in the Manchester Technology Centre - is hosting the next instalment of its North West Cyber Student Chapter on 21st March 2023. This will be the 'Life After University: Cyber Security Edition', an event featuring keynotes from CGI & 6Point6, as well as being opened by Andrew Snowden, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Lancashire. It's a student-focused event, offering an insight into Cyber Security careers and how life changes once you graduate. Students can network and meet like-minded individuals. For any soon-to-be graduates, the event will host several North West businesses that will be discussing graduate job roles for Summer 2023. Sign up now.
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Siyana Gospodinova
ROBOTICS SOCIETY HACK-A-BOT
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Hi Everyone! Are you ready to push your engineering skills to the limit? Do you want to showcase your creativity, innovation, and problem-solving abilities? If so, we invite you to participate in our upcoming 24-hour robotics-based hackathon! Hack-A-Bot is the perfect opportunity for you to challenge yourself, collaborate with peers, and gain valuable experience in the field of robotics. Whether you're an experienced robotics enthusiast or a beginner looking to learn more, this event is designed to be inclusive and engaging for all skill levels. During the hackathon, you'll have access to guidance from industry experts and mentors from Airbus and ICE9 Robotics. Work in teams to develop innovative robotics solutions to real-world problems and compete for a chance to win amazing prizes! Over £1500 worth of prizes are up for grabs! The event will be held on 25th March at 12pm and will run through to 26th March, finishing at 12pm. You'll have access to food and beverages throughout the event, as well as a comfortable and safe space to work in. To register for the hackathon, visit our students' union page and join our Discord server for updates! The deadline for registering is Wednesday the 22nd March, so please register now! Spaces are limited, so be sure to register early to secure your spot! We look forward to seeing you at the hackathon and can't wait to see what amazing robotics solutions you'll come up with! If you have any questions, either ask us in our Discord or send us an email.
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Siyana Gospodinova
WEEKLY WELLBEING EVENTS
You can find out more about wellbeing in the University here, or view and book wellbeing events via the Student Support Wellbeing Calendar wepgage
• , as well as the University Residents website
• *. There are a number of wellbeing events happening this week:
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Monday: Yoga for Beginners
• - Explore foundational postures at a gentle pace and practice different breathing exercises. Ideal for those dipping their toes into yogic waters, or hoping to gain back-to-basics confidence.
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Tuesday: Yoga Breakfast
• - Come down and enjoy a 30 minute yoga wake-up for your mind and body followed by breakfast in St Peter's House. Suitable for all levels. More information on the St Peter's House website.
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Wednesday: Post Pals Eid/Ramadan Crafting - Join the volunteering team in Simon 4.04 between 12-2pm for a fun crafternoon making Eid and Ramadan cards for children who are unwell in hospital.
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Thursday: Tote Bag Decorating for Whitworth & Horniman Residents
• * - Fancy a crafty evening? Look no further! Come up to the Reslife Room where blank tote bags and supplies await your creativity!
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Friday: Friday social with the International Society
• - Come along and meet new friends or have a catch up over tea, coffee and biscuits!
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Siyana Gospodinova
UNICS ELECTION
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We are pleased to inform you that UniCS will be holding its annual election for committee roles. This is a great opportunity for members to get involved and make a positive impact on the society. We will be holding an OGM (Ordinary General Meeting) on the 26th April 2023 to conduct the election. All members are invited to attend this meeting, whether you are interested in running for a position or simply want to cast your vote. Even if you are not running and are interested in voting, you should come as we will provide snacks and food. The committee application will be out shortly so be sure to check our social media and website for more updates. Deadline for committee role application is on the 9th of April. We look forward seeing you all at the OGM and hearing your ideas for the future of our society!
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Siyana Gospodinova
UNIVERSITY TRAVEL AWARD
Applications are now open for The University of Manchester’s Travel Awards. The awards, worth between £75 and £1500, are available for individuals or groups, to help you explore the world and gain invaluable experiences. There are three different awards available, see here. Don’t miss out on a fantastic opportunity to explore the world and develop your skills. Apply now and you might just end up with a prize ranging from £75 to £1500! Applications close on Wednesday 5th April. Even if you apply for one award, the panel will consider you for others if they feel your travel plans fit better.
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Siyana Gospodinova
THE MANCHESTER PRIZE
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On Wednesday last week The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, announced a new prize for artificial intelligence named after the world’s first stored programme computer, The Baby, which was invented in Manchester in 1948. The “Manchester Prize'' is a £1m prize that will be awarded annually for the next 10 years to recognise ground-breaking research into artificial intelligence in the UK. See this BBC news article for further information. The first programme was run on the Small-Scale Experimental Machine (SSEM), nicknamed ‘The Baby’, at 11am on 21st June, 1948. The programme took 52 minutes to determine the highest proper factor of 218 (262,144), and used eight words of working storage in addition to its 17 words of instructions, to give a total program size of 25 words. The work on the Baby, along with later developments in computing, led to the formation of this department in 1964. The Baby is widely acknowledged to be the first stored program computer largely as a result of Simon Lavington’s work documenting and publicising the early history of Manchester computing. Simon was a senior lecturer in the very early days of the department and worked with the Atlas computer and on MU5 before moving to a chair at Essex University. He continued to work on the history of Manchester computing for 30 years after he left Manchester. If you haven’t already, why not take a look at the Department Museum, which is located outside the Atlas and Mercury meeting room on the first floor in Kilburn. At the entrance to the senior common room you will find a poster that outlines the origins and significance of Alan Turing’s seminal paper on AI “Computing Machinery and Intelligence” in which he coined the term “The Imitation Game”, which was inspired by discussions within Manchester University in 1949. You can also see a working replica of the Baby as it was in June 1948 at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester.
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Siyana Gospodinova
UCU STRIKE ACTION
Strike action by members of The University and College Union (UCU) will continue this week on the following dates: Monday 20th, Tuesday 21st and Wednesday 22nd March 2023. The University will remain open during the periods of the strike action, however, some teaching activities, such as lectures, may be affected. You can find out more information about why staff are striking on the UCU website.
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Siyana Gospodinova
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