Nottingham’s Universities to be part of national inquiry

Newton Building

The impact Nottingham’s two universities have on the city and wider community will be heard as part of a national inquiry.

The UPP Foundation Civic University Commission is looking at the role of universities – what they contribute to their communities and how they can serve their place in the 21^st century.

Evidence sessions, taking place in Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield, are led by Lord Kerslake and will hear from key stakeholders and include visits to Universities and partner schools.

Together the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University (NTU) contribute £1.1bn to the local economy.

The City is one of the few outside of London to have two universities with TEF Gold, a mark of excellence in teaching, and in the top 20 of the Guardian league table of Universities nationally.

Our Universities play an active role in local governance through participation with the D2N2 LEP Board and partnership with local authorities. Our collaborative work aims to stimulate economic development in the local area, increase graduate retention, support businesses and diffuse academic knowledge through programmes such as Enabling Innovation and Nottingham Smart City.

Enabling innovation is a project led by the University of Nottingham with Nottingham Trent University and the University of Derby. The three year project involves the universities working together with 2000 local businesses providing access to world class facilities, our research and expertise to support ‘enabling technologies’ in areas such as manufacturing, aerospace, product design, and food and drink.

University of Nottingham Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Shearer West is speaking at the inquiry. She said: “These visits will showcase the huge amount of work Nottingham’s universities deliver with our many partners in the city for our local communities.

“In particular our collaboration with Nottingham Trent makes the city a force to be reckoned with in terms of excellence in education and research.

“Universities have existed for centuries and their civic offering has been a key element of that existence. I am interested in what more we can do and how we can continue to combine our global ambitions with our loyalty to the city of which we are proud to be an integral part.”

Nottingham Trent University Vice-Chancellor Professor Edward Peck said: “Universities play an important role to the success of the local economy by developing skills, driving innovation and enabling enterprises to grow.

“Beyond that, however, we are equally committed to working with our partners, including the University of Nottingham, to enrich the civic, cultural and environmental life of our City and County and thus benefit the lives of our fellow citizens. This visit will showcase exactly how we are doing that.

”Of course, we are also keen to ensure that we reflect and build on our success and we expect the Commission to challenge us to enhance our contribution over the coming years.”

Visits to the Universities by the CUC will look at universities’ global role – specifically looking at the University of Nottingham’s Ingenuity Lab and speaking to Chinese student ambassadors, as well as NTU’s Director of Global and international students. It will also consider the relationship between universities and schools – touring NUAST and speaking to NTU’s Head of Schools, Colleges and Community Outreach and staff and students who have worked within local schools.

The evidence sessions in Nottingham will include speakers from across the region such as Nottingham Forest Football Club, Rolls-Royce plc and Nottingham City Council as well as inviting contributions from other local organisations including Nottinghamshire County Council.

Sessions are free to attend and will take place at Nottingham Conference Centre, Nottingham Trent University. To make a booking, visit https://www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/news/news-articles/2018/05/upps-civic-university-commission-visits-nottingham/