Edinburgh Napier University Podcast

Sports Science graduate Colin Simpson has launched a new business which aims to whip high-flying executives in to shape. His idea for Elite Professional Performance (EPP) came after learning of worrying statistics showing high mortality rates among senior managers. Supported by Edinburgh Napier's incubator space The Moffat Centre, EPP and its team of nutritionists, fitness trainers and business coaches, believe by improving the health of employees, they can improve their performance in the office. Colin told us more about the business... Find out more about The Moffat Centre here: http://goo.gl/M9dPG or about Elite Professional Performance here: http://www.elitepp.co.uk/

We chat to Rosie, one of the newest members of the Edinburgh Napier Badminton club who meet on Fridays, 7:30-9pm @ Sighthill Campus Sports Centre and is running for its fourth year this term. The team won the Scottish third division in 2011 and will be promoted to the second division. We also got to the semi-finals of the Scottish Conference Cup which was quite an achievement. Representatives from the Napier Badminton Club will also compete in the Scottish University Individual Championships. The club accepts people of all levels - beginners, intermediate and advanced. All players will have the opportunity to try out for the new competetive team for 2012/13. This team will consist of four men and four ladies and will compete against other Scottish universities throughout the season. For more information and to email the team go to: http://www.napierstudents.com/sports/badminton.php

We chat to Nick Fannin of the Edinburgh Napier Moffat Centre about the Young Innovators Challenge which will provide Scotland's 18 - 24 year olds in training, further and higher education with the opportunity to turn their innovative ideas into a reality. For more information take a look online: http://www.sie.ac.uk/about-sie/sie-activities/young-innovators-challenge.aspx

A study led by Edinburgh Napier researchers has found a flagship government scheme aimed at improving the sexual health of young people had a 'limited impact'. A team of researchers led by Professor Lawrie Elliot from the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social care, found that the 'Healthy Respect' programme had no impact on condom use. There was also some evidence that the programme led to a greater tolerance of sexual coercion among girls. Professor Elliot talks us through the findings ahead of his appearance at the Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee on Tuesday 26th February 2013. Read more about the research on the Edinburgh Napier news centre: http://www.napier.ac.uk/media/Pages/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsID=377

We chatted to Cat McManus, President of Edinburgh Napier's Archery Society, about all things archery. She tells us about the society, how you can get involved and how the sport for her was a case of "love at first shot!" Interested in nocking an arrow or two? Find out more online: http://www.napierarchery.org.uk/

We chatted to Carlotta Zorzi, a fourth year student at Edinburgh Napier, about why you should fill out www.thestudentsurvey.com Carlotta has been pleased with her experience but says that you should be fair and balanced when filling the survey out. It's your chance to have your say, make employers aware of the experience your course provides and take time to reflect on the time you've had at Edinburgh Napier. Not to mention, that if you fill it out before February 11th we will donate £5 to the Children's Hospice Association Scotland! To fill out the National Student Survey go to www.thestudentsurvey.com

Want to find out about Scotland's national drink, whisky? We chatted to the President of the Edinburgh Napier Whisky Society about all things ‘Uisge Beatha’ (‘Water of Life’). For more info on the society: http://napierwhisky.com/Home.php

We chatted to Marcus and Laura, Music (Popular) BA Hons and Festival and Event Management BA Hons students by day, music promoters by night. We talked about their work in resurrecting Napier Live as Nuvox Music, how their work with Nuvox helps with their coursework and how their coursework has helped them get Nuvox Music off to a flying start. For more information about Nuvox, take a look at their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/NuvoxMusic Interested in studying at Edinburgh Napier's School of Arts & Creative Industries? Take a look at our website for more information: http://www.napier.ac.uk/sci/Pages/SchoolOfArtsCreativeIndustries.aspx

We've been getting ourselves in the mood for the Varsity Trophy Game against Edinburgh University Predators American Football team by meeting some of the Edinburgh Napier Knights. We chatted to Free Safety Rory about what the team means to him, Head Coach Pete Laird about what the Varsity Game is all about and Jamie Walsh, running back and one of only three players from a Scottish university to be selected for the Great Britain Lions team. Read more about the Great Britain Lions here: http://www.napier.ac.uk/media/Pages/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsID=365 For more information on the Varsity Trophy you can find the event on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/393391367402177/

Have you ever thought of playing American Football? Interested in sports coaching, physiotherapy or promoting sporting events? We chat to Pete Laird, Head Coach of Edinburgh Napier University's American Football team the Edinburgh Napier Knights, about the team, the sport across the country and how students can become part of the growing Knights' family. For more information about the Edinburgh Napier Knights team: http://www.napierstudents.com/sports/american-football.php Or you can follow their activities on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/EdinburghNapierKnights

This year we are donating £5 to the Children's Hospice Association Scotland for every final year student who completes the National Student Survey -(www.thestudentsurvey.com) In our latest podcast we hear from Criona Knight who tells us about where the money will go. Are you a final year student at Edinburgh Napier or do you know one? Then why not take a few minutes to help earn £5 for a great cause?

We chatted to Colin Gray, Academic Developer with the Professional Development team at Edinburgh Napier University, about his work with the Digital Futures project. Colin is part of a working group established by the University with the goal of developing a strategy to keep Edinburgh Napier ahead of the curve in digital technologies for our students to use during their time studying here. We discussed Virtual Learning Environments, the role that technology plays in education now and the desire to think what the educational landscape will look like for today's ten-year-old when they are attending university in 2020. For more information on the work that Edinburgh Napier University does as well as information about studying here, take a look at our website: http://www.napier.ac.uk

Mike Wallace, Community Sports Development Officer at the Edinburgh Napier's ENgage, describes himself as: "Just an average guy who has taken on a mission to get in the The Scotland Wrestling team for the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014". That's no mean feat for someone who hadn't wrestled until three months ago! We caught up with him at the ENgage facility at Sighthill to chat about his blog and what it's like balancing his demanding training schedule with having a two-year old son and a full time job. For more info about Mike's Journey to Glasgow 2014 take a look at his blog: http://mikewallacewrestling.blogspot.co.uk/ For more info on the ENgage facility, take a look online: http://www.napier.ac.uk/engage/Pages/Home.aspx

Introduction by Alistair Scott, Subject Group Leader, Film & Photography. On Friday 7 December 2012, graduates of the University’s Photography and Film courses gathered at Marchmont Campus to take part in a special farewell exhibition, as current staff and students prepare to leave the site. We chatted to Roddy MacInness who had come all the way from Boulder, Colorado about how the exhibition came to be and let Robin Gallanders, recently retired Reader in Photography, have the final word. A number of highly successful and influential artists, including renowned Scottish photographers David Eustace, Craig MacKay and Hannah Starkey, have all studied at the site, which has been home to the University’s Photography programmes since 1976. As part of the celebration, former students, some travelling from as far afield as America, Norway and Spain, brought prints of their work to hang in an exhibition, creating a snapshot of the talent to pass through the site over more than three decades. Visit the Marchmont R

Ken MacLeod, Writer in Residence on our MA Creative Writing, reads from a new collection of Science Fiction poetry which was launched in Edinburgh last week, 'Where Rockets Burn Through'. With an introduction from the editor of the collection, Russell Jones. The collection includes work from various writers including prestigious young poet Aiko Harman, Edinburgh's Makar Ron Butlin and an introduction from Scottish polymath Alasdair Gray. For more information about studying an MA Creative Writing at Edinburgh Napier University, take a look online: http://www.courses.napier.ac.uk/W54718.htm

We chatted to Robin Gillanders, recently-retired Reader of Photography at Edinburgh Napier, about a new exhibition to mark four decades of film and photography at the University. The exhibition also marks the closure of our Marchmont campus, home to the photography degree, and its move to a new campus at Merchiston. Robin talks to us about the rich environment that he taught in during his time at Marchmont and shares some memorable insights into the community that the students created there. For more information about studying film or photography at Edinburgh Napier, take a look at the course details and enquire online: http://www.courses.napier.ac.uk/courses.aspx?ID=%2fPhotography_U54119.htm (Photo taken of Robin in 1990 courtesy of Roddy MacInnes)

We chat to Edinburgh Napier's Alistair McCleery, Director of the Scottish Centre for the Book about their latest report. In the report the Centre outlines their findings about the publishing industry and it's role in Scotland's economy and culture. Alistair discusses libraries, literary festivals, Gaelic and the role that Edinburgh Napier students and staff play within the highly collaborative Scottish literary scene. Find out information about studying an MSc in Publishing at Edinburgh Napier and find out more about the Scottish Centre for the Book online at: http://www.napier.ac.uk/randkt/rktcentres/scob/Pages/home.aspx

We caught up with actors John Sessions and Nigel Planer when they were reading in Edinburgh to celebrate the Scottish writer's birthday, as well as catching the sound of Edinburgh's very first moustache-flavoured flash mob. So if you've you ever wondered what fifty people sporting moustaches reading different works by Robert Louis Stevenson sounds like, then wonder no longer. With an introduction by Edinburgh City of Literature's Peggy Hughes. To see a film of the day's events take a look at our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i52oXYgirpU&list=UUUgSjt1d9220ErPEQY_EbxA&index=8&feature=plcp

We chat to Claire Stewart, Reader Development Coordinator at the Scottish Book Trust, about what's going on for this year's Book Week Scotland. Events include Edinburgh's mysterious paper sculptures returning home, Alasdair Gray unveiling his collected short stories and much, much more. Listen in to find out what's going on where and how you can get involved and enjoy the week. With an introduction from Edinburgh Napier's Alistair McCleery, Director of the Scottish Centre for the Book. For more info on the Scottish Centre for the Book: http://www.napier.ac.uk/randkt/rktcentres/scob/Pages/home.aspx For info on Book Week Scotland and to book tickets: http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/book-week-scotland-2012

Liseli Sitali, Edinburgh Napier Student Association's Vice President Reps & Volunteers, chats to us about her Christmas community outreach project aimed at elderly residents of Edinburgh's Sighthill area. You can follow the project by liking them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NSAChristmasHampers