Unilives's Blog » jblanchardlewis

Cambridge University Societies Fair

jblanchardlewis — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:02:44 +0000

This is a short video I made about the Cambridge University Societies Fair, which takes place at the start of every new year. The purpose of the event is to involve students, particularly new arrivals (sometimes called Freshers) in the active extracurricular life at Cambridge. There is a wide variety of options, covering sports, politics, technology and religion, as well as many others. Regulation is very loose, allowing students to pursue their activities freely and provide outlets for almost any area of interest.

I filmed this to demonstrate what is possible even using the most basic of audio-visual technology – in this case the camera in my phone! The picture quality and sound are not going to win an award at Cannes, but the film still shows an interesting part of student life.

When we launch on November 19th, you will be able to upload your own videos about student life– whether you’re using the most expensive broadcast-quality equipment, or just your mobile phone. Your inventiveness and imagination have no limits, so share them with us!

Binghamton – Istanbul dual diploma experience

jblanchardlewis — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:43:23 +0000

This is a photo essay submitted by one of our friends, Pinar Kuzlu, an exchange student who has studied in both the USA and in Turkey. Her slideshow compares experiences in each of the universities where she has studied as an undergraduate. When UniLives.com opens for contributions in November, you can tell your story as well. Like Pinar, you might share examples of how your education affects your lifestyle and how that lifestlye colours your experience of education. (view slideshow) (flickr set) (to see Pinar’s commentary, click “show info” on the top right)

Visiting Omar Mukhtar, Libya

jblanchardlewis — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:07:23 +0000

This photograph is of me – Joshua Guy Blanchard Lewis (second from right) – with a group of medical students from the specialist science and medicine university Omar Mukhtar, near Al Bayda in Libya. I visited Libya last March with a team of students and camera crew from Cambridge University, Anglia Ruskin University and the World University Project. We toured various universities and faculties and experienced higher education life across the country.

Undergraduate education in Libya is free, while students are offered free accommodation at their campus to encourage them to live on-site. Nonetheless, strong family ties lead many students to remain at home – often to enjoy their mother’s cooking! The students in this picture had a great deal of pride in their facilities, which boasted top-notch new machinery. However, their library was significantly smaller than other universities in Libya, perhaps because of the focus on hands-on learning and long hours in the wards.

When we drew comparisons with the U.K. education system, which we are most familiar with, we were surprised at the determination of many students to remain at home with their parents, as with us living away from home is an integral part of the university experience! Similarly, our focus on wider reading and library work was noticeably different when compared to the Libyan system. It is cultural variations such as these which we are seeking to explore and share through the University Lives Collection.