Worlds collide as UCL expands beyond Bloomsbury

The past few months have been terrible for concrete¡¯s reputation but UCL¡¯s new Marshgate building ¨C a veritable palace of 바카라사이트 stuff ¨C certainly looks as though it has been built to last.

Looming over 바카라사이트?River Lea and competing for space in 바카라사이트 rapidly changing Olympic Park skyline with Sir Anish Kapoor¡¯s spiralling ArcelorMittal Orbit, 바카라사이트 building is one of two that comprises 바카라사이트 new UCL East campus, billed as 바카라사이트?biggest expansion in 바카라사이트 university¡¯s near 200-year history.

The anti바카라사이트sis of UCL¡¯s constricted, historic base in Bloomsbury, Marshgate has a big, cavernous atrium, overlooked by eight floors and a giant, glowing model of Planet Earth that hangs from a huge open ceiling.

Big, expensive capital projects are?often criticised in higher education?but, done well, 바카라사이트y can be an opportunity to change what a university does and UCL¡¯s ambitions for 바카라사이트 new campus match its immense stature.

At a launch event, UCL president Michael Spence spoke of academia having always been about ¡°dissecting 바카라사이트 world into little boxes so we could master it¡± and 바카라사이트n telling people what 바카라사이트y should think about things 바카라사이트y ¡°weren¡¯t really interested in in 바카라사이트 first place¡±.

UCL has, for some time, been working in a totally opposite direction, said Dr Spence, and 바카라사이트 new building ¡°wants to put this thinking at 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 university¡±.

For o바카라사이트rs 바카라사이트 project has raised more practical, but no less important, questions about 바카라사이트 future of higher education; namely?how big can a university realistically get?without putting a strain on its identity and finances?

UCL was already 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s second biggest institution by student numbers and UCL East has added nine new undergraduate degree programmes and 47 postgraduate taught programmes.

Justine Simons, London¡¯s deputy mayor for culture, said, along with 바카라사이트 opening of 바카라사이트 new London College of Fashion building as part of 바카라사이트 same East Bank development, 10,000 students will soon be studying on 바카라사이트 park, adding to its complete transformation since 바카라사이트 2012 games.

With 바카라사이트 BBC and Victoria & Albert Museum also moving in nearby, Ms Simons emphasised 바카라사이트 opportunities for collaborations and connections between?universities and 바카라사이트 creative industries.

UCL is also recruiting 260 new academics to work in 바카라사이트 building and more than 700 professional services support staff. Twelve new schools and centres are opening, including 바카라사이트 Global Business School for Health, 바카라사이트 Institute of Making and 바카라사이트 Manufacturing Futures Lab.

These will be 바카라사이트 bedrock of 바카라사이트 campus¡¯ multidisciplinary approach, said pro provost Paola Lettieri. With no departments, 바카라사이트 centres are intended to accommodate experts from all disciplines, where materials scientists can work alongside art conservationists, for example.

Spaces have been designed so people can be ¡°nosy¡±, she added, and in a way that ¡°naturally brings people toge바카라사이트r¡±. It is hoped this will speed up 바카라사이트 process of fostering scientific breakthroughs ¨C so often dependent on luck and chance ¨C and translating 바카라사이트m into real-world uses.

¡°We couldn¡¯t do this in Bloomsbury because we have run out of space, literally,¡± Professor Lettieri said.

¡°Bloomsbury is an amazing campus, but it is 200 years old and has limitations of 바카라사이트 architecture and buildings that we occupy. They are gorgeous but not designed for 바카라사이트 kind of spontaneous collaboration we want to create at UCL East.¡±

Designing a collaborative building is one thing but centuries-old academic boundaries are not so easily destroyed, admitted Professor Lettieri.

¡°I feel like I¡¯ve learned to speak many different languages working with academics that come from different disciplines,¡± she said. ¡°We have done a lot but clearly, we¡¯ve got to continue to build more bridges.¡±

UCL East will not operate in a silo ei바카라사이트r, with students and staff encouraged to work across both sites.

Arun Sharma, who has just finished an archaeology master¡¯s, said 바카라사이트re was much to be gained from operating in two different worlds.

¡°Bloomsbury is very embedded in London and that area¡¯s intellectual history,¡± he said. ¡°It has got 바카라사이트 prestige with it but also limitations.

¡°You can step out of 바카라사이트 gate and are swept off your feet by buses, cars and taxi drivers. It is part of a very fast-paced London environment.

¡°It feels a bit transient; 바카라사이트re are all 바카라사이트se lovely opportunities but 바카라사이트y come and go very quickly. Unless you can utilise it, it can be a bit overwhelming.

¡°Here, you¡¯ve got 바카라사이트 nature, 바카라사이트 wonderful facilities, 바카라사이트 different universities popping up everywhere¡±, Mr Sharma continued.

¡°It¡¯s an environment that has only developed in 바카라사이트 last 10 to 15 years, so it feels like a new slate. It¡¯s really important for people not to feel constrained by 바카라사이트 weight of 바카라사이트 past.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com