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"University life has been very different for everyone this year, but our students are still learning, growing and achieving in spite of everything that has been thrown at them and as a University, we couldn’t be prouder of them."

A team of pharmacists from the ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø are tackling the COVID-19 crisis head-on by vaccinating homeless people in Central London.

Lecturer Gurinder Singh, fellow alumnus Maj Dal Singh Virdee, and a team of student volunteers have joined NHS-backed charity NishkamSWAT to help inoculate homeless and undocumented migrants in the capital.

Read the full story.

The University's dedicated Careers Team is offering an extra six months of support for 2020 and 2021 finalists.

Given the impact and challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Careers Team is extending the existing 18-month support to 24 months to support graduates with their transition after university.

Read the full story.

In our series of working under lockdown, colleagues from the Special Collections team describe how they have managed to keep our archives available for teaching and research.

Claire Clough, Caroline Gould, Guy Baxter, Ollie Douglas and Rhi Smith describe how they have managed to keep up with demand, introduce new co-taught modules, and bridge the gap between physical archives and virtual learning.

Read the Special Collections team's story.

In our series of stories on working under lockdown, we are turning the spotlight on our Wellbeing Peer Support Network. 

Executive Administration Officer and Wellbeing Peer Support Network volunteer Julie Farwell shares her experience of helping staff deal with the changes that lockdown has presented, and describes some of the most common concerns that have been reported to her by colleagues over the last 12 months.

Read Julie's story.

A year has now passed since the UK went into the first lockdown in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. All of us have had to make changes to the way we work and live, both on and off campus. In our series of stories entitled 'One Year On...', colleagues from across the University share their experiences of working under lockdown over the past 12 months.

Staff Engagement and Communications Officer Nicola Lower describes the challenges of balancing work and childcare while coping with a disability.

Read Nicola's story.

Tuesday, 23 March 2021 marked one year since the first COVID-19 lockdown in the UK.

The past 12 months have been incredibly tough for everyone: adapting to working and studying from home; missing friends, family and colleagues; financial uncertainty; worries about health; and of course, for many, the loss of loved ones.

The University is inviting students and staff to reflect on their experiences of the last year in a new project entitled ‘One Year On…’ showcasing the good, the challenging and the hopeful.

Read the full story. 

A PhD graduate from the ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø is working on the frontline of the coronavirus battle after gaining a job at a COVID-19 laboratory. Eleni Kaisis, 26, completed her thesis in Alzheimer’s disease research during the pandemic, and has recently started working at a test and trace laboratory in Bracknell.

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Members of the ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø University Rowing Club (RUBC) have raised more than £1,000 in a virtual charity challenge.

The team have been taking it in turns to virtually ‘row’ around the UK – 4460km – to raise money for Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).

Members have been clocking up the miles by cycling, running and, of course, rowing during lockdown to not only keep their fitness up, but to feel connected to one another while social distancing.

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While schools and settings in the UK have had to adapt at very short notice to changes due to the pandemic, trainee teachers based at the ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø’s Institute of Education have been supported to continue their placements, either physically in school or working remotely.

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While there may be many challenges associated with online learning, one English literature associate professor suggests that it has encouraged engagement from students who may not have spoken up during face-to-face discussions.

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A podcast launched by an Entrepreneurship student at the ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø has been helping fellow undergraduates map out their future careers.

Fourth-year student Lewis Bull, who is studying for a BSc Business Management (Entrepreneurship) at Henley Business School, launched his podcast ‘Career Advice for the Clueless’ in July in the hope of helping fellow students find out more about their chosen path.

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Students who are self-isolating or quarantining in halls of residence are staying well fed thanks to the efforts of the University’s dedicated catering team.

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Students from the ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø’s Pharmacy programme have been helping to deliver the Covid-19 vaccine to communities in ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø.

Reem Shalhoub and Sara Haj Mohamed, who are both third year students, have gained hands-on clinical experience preparing the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use at the Tilehurst Village Surgery.

In turn, they helped to vaccinate more than 900 patients across the area.

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Members of the International Study & Language Institute (ISLI) have been seeing the world during their daily commute – virtually, of course.

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A pandemic couldn’t stop linguistic academics from around the world coming together to tackle the big issues facing the field this year.

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Summayah Ahmed, a third year Philosophy, Politics and Economics student, says her experience of life at the ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø has been 'different but enjoyable' with a mixture of online and in-person classes.

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Members of the SportsPark team kept students, staff and other members of the ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø community fit the #UoRWay, by putting together a simple Couch to Christmas fitness programme.

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Everyone has played a part in keeping our University going. If you have a story you think will raise a smile, want to champion a colleague who you believe has gone above and beyond, or have seen an exceptional piece of work or research being delivered during these incredibly challenging months, this is the time to share.

Email UoRWay@reading.ac.uk or tag #UoRWay on social media to share your stories.