Debbie Harrison, an occupational therapist from UEA’s School of Allied Health Professionals has been providing round-the-clock coverage of the Race2Recovery team’s progress, monitoring the group of veterans as they journey through some of South America’s toughest landscapes. She is currently working as part of a communication team based in the UK, streaming information and updates of the crew’s progress via Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

The Race2Recovery team is made up of injured soldiers, veterans, engineers and drivers, hoping to successfully complete the race and also raise awareness and funds for the 'Help for Heroes' charity.

Debbie spoke to us about her motivation behind the project, relating how “As an occupational therapist, I am keen to see people rebuild their lives and gain a new sense of identity through participation in activities that they love.” She described Race2Recovery’s involvement in the rally, which attracts a huge international following, as an “opportunity to increase awareness and inspire people with disabilities.” She also spoke about the team’s ambition “to raise as much money as possible for Help for Heroes” to help fund a recovery centre, and that they are aiming to “reach at least a £1million.”

The Dakar Rally is an international contest, testing competitors’ endurance, navigational skill and engineering ingenuity. It attracts both professional and amateur drivers from around the globe, and this year’s Rally challenges competitors to successfully navigate across South America, from Lima, through Tucumán and toward the final goal in Santiago. Using modified off-road vehicles, the competitors and their teams cross dunes, mud, rocks and desert, sometimes completing distances of over 800 kilometers in a single day.

This year’s Dakar Rally is currently in full swing at the moment, and if you want to check out Race2Recovery‘s progress or find out more about this exciting international competition, visit www.race2recovery.com, or you can follow the team at www.twitter.com/race2recovery, www.youtube.com/race2recovery, or by searching for ‘Race2Recovery’ on Facebook.

In the last 50 years we have grown in academic distinction and reputation, achieving international acclaim. We are ranked in the top 2% of academic institutions globally, as well as being acknowledged as one of the ten best universities in the world under 50 years of age. Our progressive approach to teaching has allowed us to reach several academic milestones, such as the establishment of our prestigious and first of its kind Creative Writing MA in 1971, and the founding of our world-class School of Environmental Sciences.

Architect Denys Ladun present plans for the Ziggurats, the student accommodation building, in 1967.

From welcoming our first 100 undergraduates in 1963, to educating the 15,000 students that attend the University today, more than 100,000 students have graduated from UEA in the last fifty years. Our graduates go on to pursue successful careers in a vast range of sectors, including further academic study, and the work of our students and academic researchers continues to make a powerful cultural, social and economic impact.

To commemorate these achievements we will be celebrating our jubilee throughout 2013. Furthermore to continue to create an inspiring legacy for our students and our global community, we will be launching The Difference Campaign.  This ambitious philanthropic project aims to gather support and raise funds in order to advance four key areas where we believe we have exceptional strength and potential  - Health, Climate, Opportunity, and Creativity. The campaign plans to provide a significant boost to our research and inclusion aspirations; from working towards finding a cure for prostate cancer or understanding climate change, to supporting talented students from low income backgrounds.

UEA is reputable for its excellent student satisfaction levels, and in 2012 the National Student Satisfaction placed us in the top 5 for overall student satisfaction across all English-based universities.

It has been an incredible 50 years so far, and we look forward to continued growth and development  in the future. If you would like to join our celebrations and study with us at UEA, please visit our homepage for more information.

Students at the 2012 graduation ceremony

One of our main strengths is our dedication to providing excellent research led teaching. This is made possible by our academic staff, all of whom are experts in their respective fields and – are dedicated to providing our students with up to date, world-leading knowledge.

UEA has over 300 courses available, so it’s not surprising that one of the key principles of learning is the promotion of interdisciplinary study; encouraging our students to expand their academic interests. Because of the wide range of courses available, we are able to ensure that students develop the skills that meet the requirements of an employment market that demands increasingly flexible and multi-talented graduates. Students receive a combination of individual and group contact time, a great staff to student ratio and academic support from our dedicated team.

UEA students using one of our many specialist laboratories

Wanchai- Education UK Exhibition
Hall 3G – Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
26th & 27th January 2013   (13:00 – 19:00hrs)

If you have any questions about the exhibition please feel free to email Victoria Isherwood at intl.office@uea.ac.uk. If you cannot meet us on this trip, please visit our Hong Kong country page where you can access information about entry requirements, scholarships and testimonials. There are also greetings from UEA’s Hong Kong student ambassadors; you can read a sample of Marissa’s greeting below:

Marissa, our Hong Kong student ambassador

“Hello, my name is Marissa and I am currently in my third year of my Bachelor degree studying Business Management. There are three main reasons I chose to study in UEA: the reputation, the campus and Norwich itself! I have never regretted studying in UEA and it is definitely one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life!

UEA is a famous research-based university, reputable for their English Literature, Pharmacy, Environmental Science and Drama courses. One reason why I believe UEA has achieved high levels of student satisfaction is because our lecturers, advisors and mentors are always there to help us whenever we encounter problems during our studies.

Being a campus based university all the facilities (such as our sport centre which has an Olympic size swimming pool!) are right next to the lecture theatres, and UEA has over 150 sports clubs and societies that you can join and participate allowing you to meet people from all around the world.

For the past three years, UEA has given me an unforgettable university experience, if you have any questions about UEA, feel free to send me an email at hongkongstudents@uea.ac.uk or ‘like’ our Facebook page to see more pictures and current news.”

We encourage you to contact our International Student Ambassadors to learn first-hand about their experiences at UEA and the UK. You can also complete an enquiry form to receive further information about UEA and courses you are interested in as well as learn when we will next be in Hong Kong.

 

Beijing– China International Education Exhibition Tour (CIEET)
National Agriculture Exhibition Centre
9th & 10th March 2013, 10:00 – 16:30hrs

If you have any questions about the exhibition please feel free to email William Leitch at intl.office@uea.ac.uk. If you cannot meet us on this trip, please visit our China country page where you can access information about entry requirements, scholarships and testimonials. There are also greetings from several of our student ambassadors for China; you can read a sample of Li’s greeting below:

Li Yang, one of our student ambassadors for China

“Hi! My name is Li Yang, and I am one of the two Chinese ambassadors at UEA. I just finished my undergraduate degree course in Accounting and Finance at UEA this summer, and am now studying a Masters course in International Business Finance and Economics.

I chose to study here at UEA because it is a brilliant university; it has a very good academic reputation in Media, Environmental science, Business, Economics and many other courses. I really enjoyed the teaching methods here. The university often invites some professional guest speakers who are very experienced in specific fields, to give students more ideas about their studies. There are a wide range of resources in the library, which students can use, like computers, books, scanners and printers.

Apart from academics, life in Norwich is so brilliant. It is near Cambridge and located in Norfolk, which is one of the safest counties in the UK. What’s more, it’s less than 2 hours away from London by train. There are also several Chinese supermarkets and restaurants in the city, in case you miss Chinese food; they are good options. For those of you who like sports, Sportspark is an ideal place to follow your interests; it even has an Olympics standard swimming pool that is open to everyone! You can also join some sports courses or clubs there, such as swimming, tennis and badminton, etc. UEA has many societies you can take part in as well, like Japanese society (you can learn Japanese), Asian Pop music society (they have live concerts sometimes, it’s really enjoyable!), and International Student Society (they hold various events or parties.) If you would like to know more about UEA or Norwich, you are more than welcome to contact me. I will be very pleased to help you.”
We encourage you to contact our International Student Ambassadors to learn first-hand about their experiences at UEA and the UK. You can also complete an enquiry form to receive further information about UEA and courses you are interested in as well as learn when we will next be in China.

Ipoh- AUG Further Studies Exhibition, Syuen Hotel
10 December 2012  (12:00 – 18:00hrs)

Johor Bahru- AUG Further Studies Exhibition, KSL Resort
11 December 2012  (12:00 – 18:00hrs)

Kuala Lumpur- AUG Further Studies Exhibition, Hilton Hotel Petaling Jaya
13 December 2012  (12:00 – 19:00hrs)

Kuala Lumpur- STAR Edcuation Fair, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
15-16 December 2012   (11:00-19:00hrs)

Sibu- Global Education Fair, Tanahmas Hotel
17 December 2012  (14:00-18:00hrs)

Kuching- GO UK Education Fair, Riverside Majestic Hotel
17 January 2013   (13:00-18:00hrs)

Kota Kinabalu- GO UK Education Fair, Le Meridien Hotel
19 January 2013   (13:00-18:00hrs)

If you cannot meet us on this trip, please visit our Malaysia country page where you can access information about entry requirements, scholarships and testimonials. There is also a greeting from our Malaysian student ambassador, a sample of which you can read below:

Chong-Loong, our UEA Malaysian student ambassador

“My name is Chong-Loong and I am a third year student studying Business Finance and Economics in the School of Economics. One of the reasons why I like the UEA so much is simply because you get to study in a high ranking university with experienced and extremely helpful academic staff, combined with the fact that there are so many students from numerous countries all across the globe. Norwich city has the perfect combination of being a beautiful and safe place to live in and also sufficient amount of nightlife for those who prefer the “buzz” of pubs and clubs.

I am one of the founders of UEA Malaysian Society, where Malaysian students can get together, with activities that often includes cooking and sharing traditional Malaysian food, such as nasi lemak, roti canai, chicken rice, kuih bakar and teh tarik. I look forward to meeting all Malaysian students, especially new students.”

We also encourage you to contact one of our International Student Ambassadors to learn first-hand about their experiences at UEA and the UK. You can also complete an enquiry form to receive further information about UEA and courses you are interested in as well as learn when we will next be in your country.