Nemi Asoka filming in the lab

At the Quadram Institute, our communications team work to build the reputation of the institute by communicating our research and impact across the globe. The team were recently joined by students from the University of East Anglia’s BA Broadcast and Multimedia Journalism course for work placements.

In mid-June, students Chloe Leggett and Tabby Dryhurst joined for a week’s work experience.

Chloe explains, “As part of our course, we have to do 15 days of industry placement to introduce us to what life will be like after the degree.”

She continues, “I decided to pick the Quadram Institute as I wanted to work with a communications team to see how it’s different from a newsroom. I have always had a passion for science, and I was really interested in seeing how a team can take complex developments and theories and turn them into something that everyone can understand. I visited the institute in the first year of my degree and knew that it would be an interesting place to get some experience.”

Tabby continues, “In my first year on the course, we had a tour and visited Andrew Stronach at the Quadram Institute. I found the studies and the work here very interesting and wanted to get involved in the communications department, to help share the results of various findings and what the scientists do here. I do not have a background in science, so I wanted to push myself and try something new where I could learn a lot from the people around me.”

Anna Johnson who joined the communications team in early July for a week reflects on why she chose to spend a week with the team. She says, “I don’t have much knowledge on science and health topics, but I respect the important work the scientists do so I wanted to see firsthand what it was like to promote their great work.”

More recently, Nemi Asoka joined the team for a week in late July. She says “I came to the Quadram Institute to experience working in communications in a field I wouldn’t have thought about before. I don’t have a strong science background outside of what I remember from biology in secondary school.”

Reporting on a royal visit to Norwich Research Park

Every day in communications is different. Chloe, Tabby, Anna and Nemi got to experience this variety as Tabby explains, “This week has been full of different and exciting tasks and has also allowed me to feel part of the team here at the Quadram Institute.”

Chloe shares one of the highlights of their week, “I never expected to get so close to royalty, but that also happened this week! My highlight was being able to report on Prince William and Cate Blanchett’s visit to the Norwich Research Park. It was such an amazing opportunity. It was an incredible event to witness.”

Tabby says, “Chloe and I were able to see Prince William and Cate Blanchett visiting Colorifix, the sustainable clothing dye company located next to the Quadram Institute building.”

She continues, “This day was very interesting as we had a deadline for our article about the royal visit and wanted to publish information about their visit, that we gathered. We interviewed the co-founder of the company, who helped us understand the damaging impact the fashion industry can have on the environment.”

Creating social media content

Chloe and Tabby’s week included a trip to Stowmarket too, to join our scientists taking part in the Food Museum’s Discovery Day.

Tabby explains, “Chloe and I had a lot of fun making promotional social media videos, using the Quadram’s guidelines for media. On Wednesday, we travelled to Stowmarket to visit the Food Museum and the event they were hosting about different food companies. Chloe and I felt part of the team and had a lot of fun filming and interviewing different members of the event.”

Nemi reflects on her week in the team, “I filmed and edited content about the exhibition of work on display in the Quadram Institute created by students at Norwich University of the Arts for the Instagram. I also wrote Instagram and LinkedIn posts to encourage followers read the latest press release about the Food Safety Research Network recent funding.”

She adds, “I filmed undergraduate summer students in the lab currently on an internship funded by the charity Invest In ME Research too.”

 

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From pulses to podcasts

Anna’s week was varied too. “I wrote a blog article about an upcoming PulseON preliminary study. I really enjoyed this because I have been able to deep dive into a topic I hardly know anything about and learn about the importance and health benefits of pulses”

She adds, “I also edited a Science Soundbite episode on Adobe Premiere Pro software. From this I learnt when you have no establishing shots (what we call general views in journalism) to go over cuts you can just zoom in the shot to make a cutaway of a face and then the cut looks seamless.”

Filming an MP visit

Anna Johnson filming Ben Goldsborough’s visit

The week Anna spent with the communications team included a visit from a local Member of Parliament (MP), South Norfolk’s MP, Ben Goldsborough.

Anna explains, “A highlight of my week was the buzz from Ben Goldsborough MP’s visit and filming content of his visit.”

She continues, I took footage of an MP visit to the Quadram Institute and saw the process for PR when having a high-profile visitor. I feel I have become more knowledgeable on how much preparation is needed for a high-profile visitor.”

Nemi’s week with the team covered policy work too, as Nemi explains, “I helped gather evidence for select committee questions.”

Meeting and interacting with journalists

In Nemi’s week she got to meet the science correspondent for The Observer, James Tapper, who came on a visit to find new stories.

Nemi says “It was interesting to observe and see how an experienced journalist will ask questions and the way he asked them.

It didn’t feel like he was interviewing them, even though he was, he made it conversational told the scientist he was speaking to what he was looking for and showed interest in what he was being told”

Building confidence and communication skills

Chloe reflects on the week, “I was very nervous coming into this week, but my confidence has grown massively. I’ve been given the freedom to experiment with different ideas which has helped me grow. It’s been an amazing placement. I have learnt that that I should have more belief in myself and not let my brain stop me.”

Tabby says, “I have acquired many skills that I did not have before, as well as developed my social media editing portfolio. I can now write a press release about scientific journals which was confusing at the beginning but is a very interesting activity.”

Remarking on being part of the team she adds, “I would like to say thank you to Andrew Stronach who organised my placement and has been very helpful every day. He provided me and Chloe with topical, meaningful tasks which we would not usually have the opportunity to explore at university.”

Tabby continues, “On the Wednesday when we went to Stowmarket, Andy Chapple was very helpful as well as the team of scientists who attended. They were all friendly and provided us with perfect interviews for our social media videos.”

“Clemence and Ruby gave us many opportunities to get involved with the Quadram Institute’s social media and our work ended up being posted on the institute’s Instagram. They both helped me and Chloe throughout the week and were friendly and talkative to us in the office, making us feel like part of the team.”

Nemi says about her week in the Quadram communications team, “This week has taught me how transferrable my skills are. The Quadram Institute is a welcoming space and gave me an opportunity to work on the other side of the broadcasting spectrum. I use to think communications was just about external interactions like social media and articles but there’s also internal communications.”

Nemi remarks on science covered in the week too, “I’ve learned that a lot of people in the UK lack vitamin D, specifically vitamin D3, since there are two types and about a disease I hadn’t known existed (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), and would not have if I did not do my work experience here.”

Reflecting on her week in the team Anna says, “I have loved, for a week, being immersed in the groundbreaking research being done at Norwich Research Park. It is a world I’m not that familiar with, but I have enjoyed every moment learning something new every day.”

It wasn’t just the scientific side of life in the Quadram that that the students got to know. Anna concludes, “I’ve also learnt that Quadram café does an amazing rocky road!”