Welcome back to a new semester at Queen Mary! We hope that you had a wonderful break.

As we approach the start of a new semester, this is an ideal time to reflect on the past few months and plan what you need to do to achieve your goals in the coming few months.

Take a look at our useful information to help you get the semester off to a good start.

In December, our role in supporting the real Living Wage was named as one of the UK's best breakthroughs for its significant impact on people's everyday lives.

A team of researchers led by Professor Attila Lorincz from the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine has found that a new cervial cancer test has a 100 per cent detection rate.

Dr Violeta Moreno-Lax from the School of Law has successfully campaigned for the European Parliament to adopt a Humanitarian Visa Resolution, which has the potential to contribute to a solution to the refugee crisis.

Qmotion January discounts
Qmotion is offering 20 per cent off peak and off-peak membership prices until midnight on Thursday 31 January. There are also discounted ‘Rest of Academic Year’ membership options available. Make use of the excellent on-campus facilities, get a free personalised training programme and access to over 25 weekly group exercise classes. All staff are well trained, receive at least the London Living Wage, and are available to provide personalised assistance when you need it.

New video series: Tales of BL
Fourth-year medical students Rakin Choudhury and Mohsin Butt have filmed a series of short videos exploring the near-900 years of history at Barts and The London, its colleges and its hospitals, from its founding to the present day. The series, uncovering untold 'Tales of BL', can be found online on YouTube and Facebook. The first episode features one of the more famous stories of Joseph Merrick: The Elephant Man. If you have any stories you would like to share, both old and new, please contact talesofbl@gmail.com.

Sex and relationships month at the Students’ Union
This January, the Students’ Union are running their sex and relationships month campaign, the first of its kind at the Union. The campaign will tackle issues that all students might face and highlight areas where more work needs to be done. You’ll have the chance to be part of the conversation and join in with some of the educational or fun events taking place.

New year, new finances – 10 easy tips for improving your finances in 2019
The Advice and Counselling Service provides guidance on how to improve your finances in the New Year, from using online budgeting tools to finding discounts.

Increase in cost of Immigration Health Surcharge
The Immigration Health Surcharge will increase for those applying for immigration permission on or after today, Tuesday 8 January. For Tier 4 students and their dependants, the cost will now be £300 per year of immigration permission granted. For most other categories of immigration permission, including Tier 2, the cost will be £400 per year. Find out more.

Develop your leadership skills and drive positive change across our campuses and local community
The Future Global Leaders Forum is a new programme enabling students to work and learn together and build the skills, mindset and cultural agility needed in a future global leader. It has three project streams and all Queen Mary students can apply. Information sessions will be held tomorrow, Wednesday 9 January – please register your attendance. Applications will close on Monday 14 January. Find out more and apply.

QEnterprise Funding Awards – start-up funding available now
Careers and Enterprise are looking for the most innovative 
businesses and social enterprises emerging from Queen Mary. This is your opportunity to win up to £10,000 in equity-free awards, as well as expert mentoring and dedicated start-up support through our 12-week QIncubator programme. If you have an idea for a business that you’d like to start or grow, we have ‘Try It’ (up to £500), ‘Grow It’ (up to £5,000) and ‘Build It’ (up to £10,000) funding awards available. Call 0207 882 8533 or visit Careers and Enterprise for more information or to discuss your ideas.

Get an insight into the graduate application process
Interested in applying to the Civil Service Fast Stream or any large graduate scheme? Apply now for QInsight. You’ll get exclusive tips on how to tackle assessment centres and situational judgment tests. You’ll even get the chance to visit Whitehall offices and network with senior Civil Servants. Applications close at 10am on Monday 28 January.

China Summer Camp 2019
Are you looking for a great travel experience this summer? Join Queen Mary’s Confucius Institute on their summer camp in Shanghai from Sunday 7 to Saturday 20 July. You’ll learn about Chinese economy and history, attend cultural performances, study Chinese language, participate in Chinese cultural activities and go on excursions including a weekend in Beijing. There are 16 places available offered on a first come, first served basis until the deadline of Friday 22 March. Find out more.

Funding opportunities for PhDs and postdoctoral fellowships in the social sciences
The London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership has a number of funding opportunities available to Queen Mary students: the Open and CASE (project-based) studentship competitions for PhD studentship finding, as well as opportunities for postdoctoral fellowships.

Funding opportunities for postgraduate research students in arts and humanities
The Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded 'London Arts and Humanities Partnership' is offering up to 90 cross-institutional studentships a year for postgraduate research students studying arts and humanities disciplines at Queen Mary.