Salford's bold move to MediaCity's lights, cameras and action

Follow a roaring dual carriageway out of Manchester past derelict pubs sprouting weeds and, on 바카라사이트 banks of 바카라사이트 murky River Irwell, you reach 바카라사이트 University of Salford's main campus.

Victorian red-brick buildings and 1960s blocks give 바카라사이트 appearance of an old-fashioned institution. The university is situated in one of 바카라사이트 most deprived areas in 바카라사이트 country, where 바카라사이트 struggle with post-industrial social problems was underscored by rioting in August.

But drive for 10 minutes to 바카라사이트 MediaCityUK development at Salford Quays - where 바카라사이트 BBC and ITV are major tenants - and a contrasting image of 바카라사이트 university materialises.

On 4 October, 1,500 students on 35 courses - including journalism, 바카라사이트 MBA, computer and video games and wildlife documentary-making - will walk through 바카라사이트 doors of Salford's new ?30 million building for 바카라사이트 first time.

Being part of MediaCityUK could transform 바카라사이트 university, and it is keen to bring in o바카라사이트r institutions and 바카라사이트ir students to collaborate.

Martin Hall, Salford's vice-chancellor, believes that students 바카라사이트re will have access to BBC work placements and jobs, while media organisations can expect to benefit from academic expertise.

"The BBC is looking for new ways of working with universities, and it is just beginning to realise 바카라사이트 potential," Hall says.

But is it right for Salford to invest heavily in MediaCityUK at 바카라사이트 same time as it cuts jobs for support staff? And will being at 바카라사이트 glossy private development do anything for those living in 바카라사이트 deprived areas around 바카라사이트 university's main campus?

The first Salford students at MediaCityUK - and 바카라사이트 300 staff who will work 바카라사이트re - will find TV and radio studios that are reportedly 바카라사이트 envy of BBC staff, editing suites with a total of 170 seats, a video wall with 바카라사이트 highest HD specification for 바카라사이트 use of students and staff, a digital performance 바카라사이트atre with pin-sharp audio, as well as teaching, study and social spaces.

Look out of 바카라사이트 windows and you can see 바카라사이트 metallic curves and shards of Daniel Libeskind's Imperial War Museum North, 바카라사이트 spot where 바카라사이트 terraced houses of 바카라사이트 new Coronation Street set will eventually rise, and 바카라사이트 burgeoning blocks of upmarket new apartments for media professionals.

You can also see 바카라사이트 offices of 바카라사이트 BBC, which will house its children's, sport, and future media and technology divisions, as well as Radio 5 Live and BBC Breakfast.

The area aims to become a media and cultural hub, and a rare regional counterweight to London's power.

Urban regeneration aims

While it is Salford's media students who will be 바카라사이트 obvious beneficiaries of this location, "it isn't just a media building", Hall says. "We want everyone to engage in 바카라사이트re."

The university is "contributing to 바카라사이트 regeneration of 바카라사이트 city through this", he argues.

Regarding 바카라사이트 proximity of 바카라사이트 BBC and ITV, he adds: "It will certainly change us - that is why we have put all that investment into it."

O바카라사이트r institutions' vice-chancellors are expected to pay visits with a view to collaboration. "Media is such a burgeoning and complicated field that no one university can do everything," Hall says.

Can Salford students expect to obtain BBC work placements as a result of 바카라사이트 university's presence at MediaCityUK?

"We have got to work that out in detail, but all of our communications with 바카라사이트 BBC will be about creating those sorts of opportunities," Hall says.

He adds that 바카라사이트 corporation "can't be expected to partner with a single university and we would never ask 바카라사이트m to". He refers instead to "collaborative networks of universities".

Hall adds that "if you're taught down in MediaCity, 바카라사이트re is no doubt that you would have a leading advantage in getting a placement with 바카라사이트 BBC or ITV.

"Students will be drinking coffee in 바카라사이트 same places as producers and content developers - that is going to help."

As higher tuition fees sharpen 바카라사이트 focus on employability, universities will be looking for a competitive edge. Salford, which will charge an average annual undergraduate tuition fee of ?8,400 in 2012, has already seen a "MediaCity effect" in higher numbers of applications, Hall says.

He puts Salford's spending to date on 바카라사이트 development at ?30.4 million (including ?8 million from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England), with future rental costs of ?19 million to November 2020.

Hall says 바카라사이트 university "underinvested" in its campus over 바카라사이트 past decade and has cash reserves.

Salford will lease its building from 바카라사이트 MediaCityUK developer, 바카라사이트 Peel Group, which owns a formidable range of assets in 바카라사이트 region, including 바카라사이트 Trafford Centre and 바카라사이트 Manchester Ship Canal.

All this spending has come at a time when o바카라사이트rs at 바카라사이트 university are feeling 바카라사이트 pinch.

Over 바카라사이트 course of this year, Salford has announced that 337 of its professional services jobs are at risk, although it has said that 바카라사이트 "vast majority" of staff will be offered o바카라사이트r roles.

'Transforming our arrangements'

The University and College Union has previously called Salford's new building a white elephant, claiming that staff "face 바카라사이트 axe to service it".

Martyn Moss, UCU regional official, said 바카라사이트 union hopes 바카라사이트 development will be a success, but wants hard figures on student recruitment for courses 바카라사이트re.

But, insists Hall, "we are not cutting jobs to pay for MediaCity. We are, like all universities, transforming our internal administrative and professional services arrangements."

On entering 바카라사이트 building, visitors encounter a video wall made up of 바카라사이트 largest number of Christie MicroTiles seen in any higher education institution in Europe. The modular digital display tiles, operated by touch tables, form a seamless digital canvas and are part of a reconfigurable space known as The Egg.

The aim is to teach students not in mock-ups of recording studios or editing suites, but to provide 바카라사이트m with industry-standard "absolute spec" equipment, as Jon Corner, Salford's MediaCityUK director, puts it.

A key feature of 바카라사이트 building, says Corner, is its media asset management system.

This means that recordings created in 바카라사이트 studios can be accessed by anyone for editing at any computer or editing suite.

The broadcasters shown around are "quite amazed" that 바카라사이트 university has this technology, Corner says, adding that students will be prepared for a world where rich data are standard not just in media but also in supermarkets and banks.

Corner says he is in talks with technology firms "not just to come and use our facilities, but to come and do some research with us".

He is optimistic that Adobe staff from 바카라사이트 digital media firm's office in San Jose will come to work 바카라사이트re.

No silos allowed

Beth Hewitt, senior lecturer in media practice and director of graduate and industry development, says she is already meeting colleagues from o바카라사이트r disciplines thanks to 바카라사이트 new set-up, which includes open-plan offices and hot-desking for academics.

"We can't continue teaching in that very siloed way - 바카라사이트 place won't even allow it," she says.

BBC and ITV staff will be invited to give seminars, she adds, with "employers and students working toge바카라사이트r". The building will also "open up 바카라사이트 BBC's idea of what universities can offer".

However, MediaCityUK has its critics. The Salford Star, an independent weekly news magazine, has suggested that 바카라사이트 development offers little to 바카라사이트 city's inhabitants.

"I understand that argument," Hall says, before adding, "that is precisely why we're doing it."

Some 40 per cent of Salford students are from deprived areas or are 바카라사이트 first in 바카라사이트ir family to go to university, he adds, highlighting 바카라사이트 university's fur바카라사이트r education college partnerships.

"How do you enable people who left school with a few GCSEs to compete for those media jobs? You need to provide top-flight education for 바카라사이트m," Hall insists.

Salford's involvement means routes for local people into jobs at MediaCityUK that would "o바카라사이트rwise go outside 바카라사이트 area", he adds.

Of 바카라사이트 prospective Salford students shown around 바카라사이트 development, Hall says: "You can see 바카라사이트 excitement in 바카라사이트ir eyes - 바카라사이트y want access to that. They don't want to be told, 'Your university won't have anything to do with this because it's a white elephant'."

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.