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Interview with Sumant Mathure

Sumant Mathure speaks about his time as a research student in Mechanical Engineering at Dundee College of Technology, his journey from India to Dundee in January 1987, the work he did on continuous casting with precious metals, and meeting Prince Philip during the College’s centenary celebrations in 1988.

[0.00] Interview Preliminaries
[03:22] Interview starts
[04:20] Name & connection to University - Jan 1987-May 1991 at DIT
[04:44] Research into continuous casting with gold, silver copper; Working with Birmingham Mint & Rautomead; Student project working on unique relationship with manufacture & institution
[06:00] Already had a Bsc in chemistry (?) from India; Dr Robert W Johnson was his supervisor
[07:00] Degree in metallurgy (mentioned in Herald newspaper)
[08:00] Dr R W Johnson presented a paper on continuous casting in Mumbai at the Hotel Taj. This attracted him to studying in Dundee.
[10:00] Lots of profound memories from his “golden years”. Born in 1966 and arrived in Dundee 5th Jan 1987, only 20 years old, no internet, only letters and telephone to communicate. His Dad was in Dubai when he and his mother received the letter of acceptance from R W Johnson to attend at DIT. Courses started on 7th Jan
[11:53] First time travelling alone internationally. Arrived to the worst winter in the UK
[12:45] Not happy with the snow, weather or food.
[13:53] Met friends, started to feel Scottish
[14:50] Food – first 3 months were in halls of residence. He had to prove he was able to do his studies and so was often working on projects into the later hours. Meaning he’d miss his high tea at the halls and would be given cold salad to eat!
[15:50] Difficult to understand the Scottish accent
[16:15] Student council international food fest. Sumant insisted on 4 tables to represent India
[18:50] Had international housemates, from China, Egypt and Zambia.
[19:20] Duke of Edinburgh visit in 1989 to look at the gold project
[22:00] Gold project. Only a few people were able to enter the mechanical engineering room where the gold project was taking place. Needed a pass to get in. Felt very proud that he was one of the students who had access
[23:30] Sumant ran the demo for Duke of Edinburgh. Metal heated to 1100 degrees C – needed to be very careful and was his responsibility to make sure the demo ran smoothly!
[24:20] Duke of Edinburgh comments on India and how pleased he was with the presence of international students
[25:10] Felt honored as a student to be there
[26:36] Becoming a university in 1992-1994. Had to scrap the mechanical engineering degree.
[28:50] He also did consultancies under R W Johnson and 2 scholarships
[29:20] Joined his father in India after graduating in 1991. 1994 – got married. 1995 – made director of his Dad's company.
[31:00] Over 400 clients, very popular and well-reputed company in India.
[31:40] Still maintained contact with R W Johnson and others.
[31:46] Interview Recording ends

Sumant Mathure

Interview with David Ross

David Ross talks about his time in senior management and about being the Dean of the Faculty of Science and the things that he taught (chemistry). He speaks about students and lecturers that he remembers, the courses, how things have changed since he was at the University, and the role that he played in the Dundee Institute of Technology gaining its University status in 1994.
He speaks about celebrations that took place when the university gained its status. and the reasons that the Dundee Institute of Technology wanted to gain university status.

[00:37] Responsibilities as Head of the department
[2:10] Students who stood out
[2:31] Other staff members
[4:00] Developments around 1990’s – course expansion, building expansion, equipment in labs
[5:50] Differences in campus
[7:20] University gaining status (keeping courses successful while getting more students)
[8:23] + title for the university
[9:06] Claverhouse as a potential name
[9:36] Abertay name explained
[10:00] Competing with Dundee University
[12:21] New students from different areas (Ireland, India, China)
[12:47] +advertising for students
[14:30] Why the DIT wanted to get university status (prestige etc)
[16:00] New courses to be brought in and the development plans
[18:00] Courses that still exist and unsuccessful ones (Chemistry and management) due to changing perceptions etc
[20:42] Courses with big numbers of students vs smaller courses
[21:15] Lab developments easier through university status
[22:28] Staff parties and celebrations for getting university status + law hill and banner
[23:12] Staff close together and having parties
[25:10] Staff experience story – getting high profile biologists
[26:30] Getting more staff to match student number
[27:20] International staff (England, India , Belgium)
[28:35] Learning to split time between teaching and researching
[31:39] Recording Ends

David Ross

Interview with Alastair Scott

Alastair Scott speaks about his experience as a student at the Dundee Technical College, how classes used to be, about the courses he took and what Dundee and the campus used to look like. He spoke about his role in the family business and how the jute industry provided him with a lot of travelling opportunities (India, Pakistan, Thailand).
He talks about lecturers he remembers and the connections he still has with Abertay University and his role in the Dundee Heritage Trust. He then talked about all the different companies he worked for and other involvements he had (board member in America, part of a counsel).
Alastair speaks about his experience with synthetic fibres (e.g. polypropylene), and his involvement with the university for the creation of the jute museum at Verdant Works.

1:00 Jute technology course at the Dundee Technical College
3:00 Describes courses he took (textiles, management)
4:00 Practical and theoretical work, jute as an important part of education in Dundee
5:00 His role in the Dundee Heritage Trust (which owns a lot of the College's training machinery now)
6:00 College Lecturers that he remembers and people he stayed in contact with
8:00 Connections from now with Abertay (scholarship)
10:00 His time in the jute industry (travelling opportunities)
11:00 Use of jute replaced by plastics
12:00 His company producing artificial grass, and a story about how it led to him sharing a sports field with Whitney Houston
14:00 Other career opportunities it has provided to him (member of an American textiles board, member of a council)
15:00 Social life, social areas at the College
18:00 Differences in the Campus and university back then and now

  • the use of jute
    20:00 Archway story
    21:00
    23:00 Producing polypropylene + how it took companies a while to get used to it, with
    24:00 The Tech's involvement in research was limited - jute companies were secretive about their processes and in competition with each other
    27:00 College machinery for the jute production and his involvement in setting up the Verdant Works jute museum
    29:00 The Jute industry’s legacy

Alastair Scott

Interview with Graham Milne

Graham Milne shared memories of taking the College Rugby team to an international universities rugby tournament in Bilbao, Spain. He talks about the journey there by bus, feeling lost once they got there, beating the English team in the first round, and the feeling of coming third in the tournament. He also talks about how things have changed at the university since his time there, and the importance of taking advantage of the social aspects of university as well as the educational benefits.

0.00 Start of the interview
0.20 Didn’t initially want to do Civil Engineering. Wanted to do Architecture at Dundee University. Dad owned GMB. Failed first year of his degree and did a Higher National Diploma in Civil Engineering instead
1.10 Great honour to be picked by peers to be captain of the rugby team. Great responsibility too – need good attitude, discipline. Wouldn’t see himself as the best player, but had other skills – leadership for example.
4.20 He received a letter from Spain looking for teams to promote rugby in the Basque area of Spain through a tournament. The application he put forward was a little embellished. But to his surprise the team was selected. Initial doubts - didn’t know how they would get there – didn’t think they could do the country credit. Had to try to get funding to travel, but accommodation, food etc would be supplied by Bilbao University. Managed to get the funding but it was a very hard task – some of it came from the College, but most of it was raised externally. They took the Bus to England, cross English Channel, then to Spain via Stagecoach. Train to Arun [???] station. Left there on their own in the middle of nowhere not sure if there would be another train to get where they needed to go. Managed to then catch a train to Bilbao, but they had no-one able to speak Spanish and there was no-one to meet them there in Bilbao. They were afraid of armed police walking around the town due to threat of terrorism (Basque separatists). They felt lost, he “nearly had a mutiny” from the team (i.e. people threatening to go home and not take part). But someone managed to phone University of Bilbao and a bus was arranged to their accommodation.
9.20 First game against England (Salford Uni), and Scotland won. Their opponents had a more professional set up (coach, medics, better equipment etc), but were over-confident, and had gone out the night before, so they were not in good shape for the match. Dundee “took them apart”.
11.20 He feels his team had great camaraderie, team spirit. Great feeling to win Bronze medal. Only sadness is that some players that he had promised would get a game, decided after that first match that they were not good enough and opted out of playing, choosing instead to cheer from the sidelines. He regrets they didn’t get the experience of playing in the tournament.
13.20 He didn’t stay in college accommodation, but stayed at home in Dundee, and had the benefits of that. He managed to see the College’s accommodation, and, compared with what his children have experienced at university, thinks there is a big improvement in what is provided now.
15.10 College / Uni is all new for students, and next steps are work, then rising in your profession, for example, taking part in professional organisations (like the Chartered Institute of Civil Engineers). Planning is important – plan to get where you want to go, encourage others to join your profession. He is a STEM Ambassador (Bridges to Schools) – and has shown school pupils how to build suspension bridges, and conduct disaster recovery exercises. Make sure you contribute to your profession.
19.05 He remembers the whole experience was one of enjoyment. Take advantage of the social aspect as well as the educational one, so join a society or a club that will introduce you to your circle of friends for the next few years. This also applies when you get into the world of work or moving to a new area – it’s all new, and joining a club helps you get into that new environment.

Graham Milne

Interview with Rebecca Wade

Rebecca Wade, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science at Abertay, speaks about her career and achievements at Abertay University in Environmental Science. She also talks about her work as a STEM Ambassador, and her experiences so far on the Homeward Bound leadership initiative.

Rebecca Wade

Interview with Louise Giblin

Louise Giblin speaks about her experiences as a Biotechnology student at Dundee Institute of Technology, experiences in student societies and activism, including her first parachute jump, and the transition to university status. She also spoke about her subsequent career working for the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.

Louise Giblin

"You Can Do It At DIT" Radio Show Reel 2

“Features the work of Molecular Life Sciences, plus the quiz and news from around the Campus”.
Highlights cryopreservation work in the Department and Freshers Week events.

0.00 Start
0.50 Jeff Ferguson talks to Department of Medical Life Sciences about Cryopreservation and the wider subject of Biotechnology. Dr David Button, Dr Graeme Wishart, and Kevin Gartland, all from the department, are interviewed about the subjects.
09.05 Dr David Button is interviewed about the qualifications needed for entry onto Biotechnology courses, and the job prospects for students successfully completing a diploma or degree.
11.40 Quiz – Chemistry and Biology students Chris Ruff, Paul Hartley, Michael Kilpatrick, and Jamie Balderson. Questions on their specialist subject and general knowledge.
17.05 News round-up with Brian Lindsay. Freshers Week events just finished – Blastaway Night, Blind Date Night (compered by comedian Ed Byrne), and River Detectives gig (which was recorded for use in their up-coming live album). Future events include the Rock Music Society disco, Dance Music Society disco, and “Party Night”. Sports activities: Football team has already started its participation in the Midland Amateur League (W3 L2 so far); the Amateur League is starting this week. Trials for the Rugby Team (which this season includes Scotland Internationalist Andy Nicoll) are taking place at Caird Park. Hockey Club inaugural party “Bunnies Night” followed by fun game at Austin Park have taken place and a more serious game will be happening next week at Maryfield Astroturf; Basketball is starting at the Lynch Centre; Women’s only gym, and a self defence class (led by Grant Clark) are starting at the Marketgait Building; Grant Clark is a black belt in karate and he also runs karate classes.
19.50 End

Dundee Institute of Technology

"You Can Do It At DIT" Radio Show Reel 7

“Features an interview with Dr Karen Sullivan about her research into DNA molecules”
Highlight on Department of Molecular Life Sciences research on DNA fingerprinting and possible application in forensic police work and detecting wildlife crime, Student Association work towards NUS “Student Fest” campaign against government changes to student associations, and Graduation Day.

0.00 Start
0.45 Jimmy Black interviews Dr Karen Sullivan in the Department of Molecular Life Sciences about research on DNA fingerprinting. Discussion on forensic police uses of DNA finger printing for suspect elimination, and her current work using DNA finger-printing to research the effect of environmental stress on the DNA in cells. For the first time finger-printing allows entire strands of DNA to be scanned in order to locate areas undergoing change in response to stress. This can be applied to various different areas, such as crop research (e.g. to help increase resistance to disease or dry environment and pests) to help identify unstable DNA regions to try and understand them in an effort to help fix them. The technique could even be used to combat poaching – analysing the meat of elephant carcasses to see if they were sourced from regions where it was illegal to cull them or not.
9.30 Quiz: Electronic and Electrical Engineering students Ahmar Ghaffoor, Doug Watson, Donald Laing, Jason Moonie. Questions on their specialist subject and general knowledge.
15.20 Brian Lindsay’s News Round-up. He speaks to NUS Scotland Vice President Douglas Traynor about the NUS campaign against changes in student’s unions, “Student Fest” – a day of events and entertainments advertising what’s student life has to offer from the student associations points of view. An anti racism campaign is being launched across the country too. The events and activities of “Student Fest” are all things that the proposed government changes would prevent, such as debates, charities, anti-racism work, clubs and societies, social events etc even the opportunity for the national student voice to be heard, since the changes would only fund welfare, catering, internal representation and sports.
17.27 Highlight on Graduation Day, with degrees being conferred by Principal Bernard King, including three Hon Fellowships to DIT Alumnis - George Simpson, Chief Executive of Rover Cars and Vice Chair of British Aerospace; Alastair McCallum, Chief Executive at Don and Low Holdings; Roderick Rennit, Director of Water Services for Tayside.
18.05 DIT Football Team doing better in the League. 3rd equal in the league after another victory against Birkhead (1-0, with Terry Thomas scoring a penalty against them). Next week they play Fintry Thistle. Hockey Team had their first game of the season, winning 2-1 against Napier in the Inter-University League (scorers – Paul Lyall and Robin Campbell).
19.09 End

Dundee Institute of Technology

"You Can Do It At DIT" Radio Show Reel 1

Features interview with Principal Bernard King, highlight on Mechanical Engineering and the Continuous Passive Motion Machine for hand injury therapy, student quiz and weekly News Roundup.

0.00 Start
1.30 Interview with Principal Bernard King giving an overview of the background and work of DIT
5.00 Mechanical Engineering project on the Continuous Passive Motion Machine for hand therapy. Interview with patient Duncan McKenzie, and machine creator, David Caeras (?)
8.40 Interview with Prof John Milne on Research & Development projects at the Mechanical Engineering Department, and the prospects for graduates
11.30 Quiz – Computing Science Students Stewart King, David Graham, Graeme Melville, and Denise Cooper. Questions on their specialist subject and general knowledge.
17.20 News Round-up with Brian Lindsay. Focus on Freshers Fortnight at the Marketgait Students Union – events include Scottish country dancing, 60s &70s Disco, Bouncy Boxing Night, River Detectives gig, and “Blastaway” Night.
19.30 - End

Dundee Institute of Technology

"You Can Do It At DIT" Radio Show Reel 3

“Jeff Ferguson, Jimmy Black, and Brian Lindsay with their weekly magazine all about Dundee Institute of Technology”
Highlights an innovative undergraduate accountancy honours project about financing problems in the British film industry, news of attacks on students in Dundee, and the end of Freshers Week.
0.00 Start
0.45 Jimmy Black interviews Accountancy student Michael Christie, and his supervisor in the Department of Accountancy Robert Jelly, about his Honours Project about financing problems in the British film industry in the early 1990s. As part of this project he spoke to leading figures involved in financing the British film industry (investors, producers etc), inc. Chris Butterfield about their views on this topic.
7.45 Jimmy Black interviews Robert Jelly about the degree and diploma courses in Accountancy, Economics, Law, Travel and Tourism Development. He also speaks about job and salary prospects for Accountancy graduates.
10.56 Quiz: Mechanical Engineering students Reg Wilson, Philip Strachan, Jo Philips, Mike McFarlane. Questions on their specialist subject and general knowledge.
17.15 News Round-up with Brian Lindsay: Report of latest attack on a Dundee student in South Tay Street on Sunday. The student was robbed of cash and credit cards. Reminder to stay safe and stay in groups when out at night. Student Union Dance Music Night promoted, the annual church service the following Sunday evening, opportunity to donate blood, new James Thin bookshop opened in the DIT building until October 29th.
19.31 End

Dundee Institute of Technology

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