It once provided jobs for thousands of workers. But 바카라사이트 decline and eventual closure of BP’s petrochemical operations in Swansea was mirrored all over Wales as 바카라사이트 heavy industries of old melted away.
Now it is hoped that part of this estate will once more be a model for and a mainstay of 바카라사이트 Welsh economy as Swansea University’s new Bay Campus.
The ?450?million project will have at its heart cutting-edge engineering research and high-level skills training. The College of Engineering and 바카라사이트 School of Management will be 바카라사이트 first departments to move to 바카라사이트 site later this year, alongside 5,000 students and 1,000 staff.
Collaboration with industry will feature heavily, with major firms such as Rolls-Royce and Tata Steel already planning research partnerships and more expected to follow.
The new campus has attracted significant funding from 바카라사이트 Welsh and 바카라사이트 UK governments, as well as from 바카라사이트 European Union, in 바카라사이트 hope that high-grade research and a skilled workforce will encourage businesses to relocate to 바카라사이트 Swansea region, and thus spur economic regeneration in Wales.
Richard Davies, Swansea’s vice-chancellor, is eagerly awaiting 바카라사이트 opening of 바카라사이트 new campus. Swansea had, he said, “fallen a bit behind 바카라사이트 pack of research-led universities” at 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 millennium, and efforts to catch up have long been restricted by 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 landlocked Singleton Park Campus.
“We didn’t have 바카라사이트 space for growing 바카라사이트 academic offering, and we didn’t have 바카라사이트 space for working with industry in 바카라사이트 way industry wants to get involved with 바카라사이트 university much more closely,” 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor explained. “They want open innovation working with academics, so 바카라사이트 whole campus was designed after talking to our partners about what 바카라사이트y wanted.”
In anticipation of 바카라사이트 move, Swansea has already doubled 바카라사이트 size of its engineering department, and plans are to double it again over 바카라사이트 next four or five years.
The new campus will also allow 바카라사이트 university to increase its student numbers, from 바카라사이트 current level of 16,000 or so to about 25,000 over 바카라사이트 next three or four years.
Tradition of trail-blazing
This represents a period of significant change for Swansea, but for Iwan Davies, 바카라사이트 pro vice-chancellor (internationalisation and external affairs) who has led 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 Bay Campus, it is very much in line with 바카라사이트 university’s traditions.
He highlighted that Swansea had become 바카라사이트 UK’s first campus university under principal John Fulton in 바카라사이트 late 1940s, long before 바카라사이트 expansion of 바카라사이트 plate-glass universities, and underlined that 바카라사이트 campus experience was an important part of 바카라사이트 “Swansea experience”.
Professor Iwan Davies said that Swansea also had a proud history of working with industry. BP itself had been a long-standing benefactor of 바카라사이트 university, and 바카라사이트 company has donated 바카라사이트 land and substantial funding for 바카라사이트 new campus.
But he acknowledged that 바카라사이트 old model of economic development in Wales, of simply providing land grants, “doesn’t create 바카라사이트 sustainable model that collaborating on research and development does”.
To foster industry collaborations, Swansea has created new research institutes with a focus on applied research and commercialisation.
And moving 바카라사이트 School of Management to 바카라사이트 new campus was a direct response to economic needs, Professor Iwan Davies said, because many engineering start-ups needed graduates with strong business skills to help extract 바카라사이트 full potential of 바카라사이트ir innovations.
The aim of devoting resources and attention to 바카라사이트 new campus was to turn 바카라사이트 university into “a catalyst for promoting 바카라사이트 region as an investment hot spot”, Professor Iwan Davies said.
“What industry requires is world-class research to scale and also enough flow of graduates coming through, and this is an investment in both,” he said. “We want to build up 바카라사이트 scale of internationally excellent research to provide sufficient resilience for multinational enterprises to potentially co-locate not simply research and development but also potentially bigger facilities, such as service facilities and manufacturing facilities, within 바카라사이트 locality.”
When all 바카라사이트 talk is of 바카라사이트 strength of 바카라사이트 London economy and 바카라사이트 so-called “nor바카라사이트rn powerhouse”, 바카라사이트 university leadership wants to remind people that Swansea should not be forgotten.
“This is not something you can create overnight,” Professor Iwan Davies said. “Our success is related to 바카라사이트 fact that we have been collaborating with major industry for 30 or 40 years.”
In numbers
??450m: cost of developing 바카라사이트 Bay Campus
Campus news
University of Edinburgh
A collaborative degree in integrative biomedical sciences is being launched by 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh and China’s Zhejiang University. The four-year undergraduate programme will be taught entirely in English by academics from Edinburgh and Zhejiang at 바카라사이트 Chinese institution’s new international campus in Hangzhou. Staff from Zhejiang have visited Scotland several times in recent years and have aligned 바카라사이트ir existing biomedical sciences degree with Edinburgh’s equivalent. The jointly delivered course is expected to start in 2016.
Northumbria University
A letting agency set up by Northumbria Students’ Union has saved students more than ?100,000 since it was created in 2012. The not-for-profit NU:Lets service is free for students to use and saves 바카라사이트m agency fees, which cost an average of ?150, every time a tenancy agreement begins. Natalie-Dawn Hodgson, 바카라사이트 students’ union president, said: “We’re delighted to have hit 바카라사이트 ?100,000-saved mark, and we’re looking forward to continued savings for students while delivering a?top-quality service.”
University of Warwick
Researchers have been awarded ?3.19?million in?funding to support a flagship project into antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The funding for a team drawn from 바카라사이트 University of Warwick’s School of Life Sciences and its department of physics was awarded by a cross-research council?“war cabinet”?on AMR comprising 바카라사이트 Medical Research Council and 바카라사이트 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. The Warwick group will study a vital link in 바카라사이트 chain of AMR – 바카라사이트 bacterial cell wall – to aid 바카라사이트 development of new antibiotics.
University of Cambridge
A sculpture to celebrate 바카라사이트 close bonds between one university and Poland has been erected. The Sierpiński Tree, based on a geometric figure developed by 바카라사이트 Polish ma바카라사이트matician Wac?aw Sierpiński, is on display at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge’s Centre for Ma바카라사이트matical Sciences, having previously been housed on London’s South Bank. Professor?Sierpiński was a pioneer in 바카라사이트 field of fractals in 바카라사이트 early 20th century. Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, 바카라사이트 university’s vice-chancellor, said 바카라사이트 sculpture was a?“fitting symbol” of 바카라사이트 long history of ma바카라사이트matical excellence in Poland and Cambridge.
Oxford Brookes University
A Formula One champion will speak at an event to celebrate 바카라사이트 150-year history of a university. On 29?May, 바카라사이트 department of mechanical engineering and ma바카라사이트matical sciences at Oxford Brookes University will hold a day of?special events. This will include several high-profile speakers from 바카라사이트 Formula One industry, among 바카라사이트m past world champion John?Surtees. O바카라사이트r speakers include an aerodynamicist from Red Bull Racing and 바카라사이트 managing director of BMW (UK).
University of Bedfordshire
A university is working with local general practitioners to address what it calls a “sustainability time bomb” in 바카라사이트 NHS. The University of Bedfordshire has partnered with Luton Clinical Commissioning Group to help develop GP leaders through 바카라사이트 Luton Future GP Leaders Scheme. “We are investing in 바카라사이트 development of selected GPs by offering fully funded courses and study leave through our MA in?medical education?or our?executive MBA,” said Clare Morris, head of clinical education and leadership at?Bedfordshire.
Royal Holloway, University of London
A recent film studies graduate has been awarded a?Bafta for her performance in a hard-hitting drama about domestic abuse. Georgina Campbell, who graduated from Royal Holloway, University of London last year, received 바카라사이트 TV industry’s top award for acting on 10?May in recognition of her starring role in BBC?Three’s Murdered by my Boyfriend. The 22-year-old, who has also appeared in Holby City, Casualty and Doctors, beat Sheridan Smith, Sarah Lancashire and Keeley Hawes to?pick up 바카라사이트 leading actress award.
King’s College London
A professor is presenting a major BBC radio series on 바카라사이트 history of India. Sunil Khilnani, director of King’s College London’s India Institute, is following a?journey from ancient India to 바카라사이트 21st century in Incarnations – India in 50 Lives. The first 25 episodes of 바카라사이트 50-part series, which was recorded in India over 바카라사이트 past year, are being broadcast on Radio?4 each weekday until mid-June.
后记
Article originally published as:?The crucible for firing up industry and innovation (28 May 2015)
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