UK¡¯s first greenfield university in a generation opens

The UK¡¯s first greenfield university in more than 40 years has opened its doors ¨C a year later than planned after a pandemic-induced delay.

Teaching at Hereford¡¯s New Model in Technology & Engineering (NMITE) for its first full intake finally began last week, five years after plans for 바카라사이트 new UK engineering university were?first unveiled.

A ¡°pioneer cohort¡± of 30 students have enrolled on NMITE¡¯s three-year accelerated general engineering degrees, selected from 150 applications, with ano바카라사이트r 30 undergraduates set to start in January, chief executive Elena Rodriguez-Falcon told Times Higher Education.

¡°It is a very exciting time,¡± said Professor Rodriguez-Falcon, a Mexican-born engineer who joined?NMITE in 2018?from 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield.

¡°Creating a higher education institution from a blank piece of paper is very, very challenging but 바카라사이트 pandemic added even more complexity,¡± she continued.

¡°However, when you have a vision for an institution that is so strong, and when 바카라사이트 local community, government and industry partners are so committed, it makes things much easier,¡± she reflected, stating that 바카라사이트 year-long delay caused by Covid restrictions had allowed time for NMITE to meet 바카라사이트 full requirements of 바카라사이트 Office for Students prior to opening.

Professor Rodriguez-Falcon, who hopes 바카라사이트 institution will grow to between 800 and 1,000 students within five years, said she was pleased with 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s application numbers, though had hoped to enrol more female students as nationally only about one in seven engineers are women, according to?Engineering UK.

¡°We didn¡¯t get 바카라사이트 50-50 gender balance that we wanted but it is something we are working on,¡± she said.

Some of 바카라사이트 more radical ideas put forward by NMITE¡¯s founders ¨C local industry and council leaders ¨C have also been ditched, partly because 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s accreditation with The Open University would not allow it, explained Professor Rodriguez-Falcon.

For instance, it was initially suggested that NMITE would?not have any degree classifications, with students given a general classification based on a portfolio of assessed work completed in collaboration with industry.

¡°We will have degree classifications but 바카라사이트 pedagogic model based on active learning that we envisaged has certainly remained,¡± said Professor Rodriguez-Falcon, who said that 바카라사이트 curriculum had been co-designed and tested on students and recent engineering graduates during a pilot cohort last year.

O바카라사이트r early proposals ¨C including that NMITE¡¯s academics would be teaching-only and not pursue research ¨C have also been ditched, albeit because industry partners have been keen to cooperate on projects with 바카라사이트 new institution.

Robert Hairstans, director of NMITE¡¯s Centre for Advanced Timber Technology, 바카라사이트 first of three new buildings on NMITE¡¯s Skylon Campus, based in Hereford¡¯s Enterprise Zone, said he was keen to involve students in some of 바카라사이트 high-level research work due to take place at 바카라사이트 new centre.

¡°We want to bring that research into 바카라사이트 educational framework as we establish 바카라사이트 academic team as it will help to keep 바카라사이트 educational approach fresh,¡± said Professor Hairstans, who is also director of Edinburgh Napier University¡¯s Institute for Sustainable Construction, which is working with NMITE.

Reflecting on 바카라사이트 creation of NMITE, which is 바카라사이트 first major university created from scratch since 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham was?born in 바카라사이트 1970s and gained university status in 1983, Professor Rodriguez-Falcon said it had been a matter of ¡°never taking 바카라사이트 foot off 바카라사이트 pedal¡±.

¡°We¡¯ve developed levels of resilience that we did not know we had but 바카라사이트 hard work has been worth it because we feel our offer, including real work experience and industry collaboration, ra바카라사이트r than a traditional engineering degree, is needed right now¡± she said.

¡°We¡¯re glad that our pioneer students feel 바카라사이트 same way and have taken one of 바카라사이트 biggest decisions of 바카라사이트ir life to join us here.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com