The University of Exeter tells Business Cornwall more about what it has to offer
The University of Exeter is recognised both nationally and internationally as one of the top universities in terms of both quality of teaching and impact of research. Key to such successes are the University’s two Cornwall campuses: the Truro Campus, located at the Knowledge Spa near the Royal Cornwall Hospital, and the Penryn Campus.
The Penryn Campus offers the very latest academic, research and residential facilities set in 100 acres of countryside close to the waterside town of Falmouth, with beautiful views over the Fal estuary. Made up of around 4,000 students, it offers intimacy and friendliness, in an arrangement that is unique as we share the campus with Falmouth University; a leading specialist arts institution. This combination creates a vibrant community of students from science, engineering, humanities and arts backgrounds.
Though one of the smallest top ten university campuses in the UK, the Cornwall campuses excel in tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges through our research, which then informs our teaching. Students respond positively to how we do this; they report exceptionally high levels of satisfaction with academic staff, improved communication skills and confidence.
The environment and research interest in sustainability underpin much of the ethos of the Penryn Campus. These themes are central to the degree programmes, as well as in student societies, clubs and the running of the campus.
The newest development, the £5.5 million Science and Engineering Research Support Facility (SERSF), brings pioneering business, science and engineering together at the Penryn Campus, and builds upon the £30 million investment in the Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI). Cumulatively, these facilities put not only the University, but also Cornwall as a whole, at the forefront of research aiming to solve problems associated with environmental change. Work is also currently underway on the campus to build a new £4 million sports centre, in addition to a new childcare provision, both of which are scheduled to open later in 2016.
The two-storey, 1200m2 SERSF building is located next to the Daphne du Maurier building, near to the University of Exeter’s Environment and Sustainability Institute and the Tremough Innovation Centre, which is located adjacent to the Penryn Campus.
The SERSF has been enabled by investment from the European Regional Development Fund Convergence Programme (£3.9 million) and £1.6 million from the University of Exeter. The building has been designed to a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating – a measure of environmental sustainability.
The SERSF building features a specially designed area for business engagement called ‘The Collaboratory’, from which dedicated staff, along with the University’s Knowledge Exchange team, will lead a number of long-term research projects with selected local business partners. Laboratories for offshore renewables and biosciences will enable an expansion of the research led by the Marine Renewables team and CEC. Additional offices provide flexible space for those engaged in both research and teaching across the disciplines housed within the building.
SERSF also offers a home for the University of Exeter Business School as it expanded into Cornwall during the 2015/2016 academic year. Business School students have exclusive access to the new Insyght Lab and the Cornwall Collaboratory, and opportunities throughout the programme to engage directly with businesses using leading edge video conferencing technology, together with web-based collaboration tools.
BSc Business is a unique programme offered by the University of Exeter Business School at the Penryn Campus. Underpinned by an ethos of ethics and sustainability and incorporating extensive work placements throughout the three years of study and the option to study abroad in the third year (the only programme at the university which gives the opportunity to experience both employability and international study), the programme is designed to address the challenges of growing businesses in an interconnected, climate-changing world, a world where customers and employees increasingly demand socially responsible business models. Sustainability and social responsibility have moved from the margins to centre stage for the majority of businesses. Why? Because in a transparent, digital economy, brand reputation is an organisation’s most important asset. Leading companies, large and small, know that their reputation now depends on them being at the forefront in developing, implementing and communicating innovative strategies in sustainability and social responsibility.
The University of Exeter has developed an international reputation as the pre-eminent research institute in Cornwall by collaborating with local stakeholders to undertake cutting-edge research addressing scientific, medical, and social concerns.
Our world-class expertise, facilities and students can make a real difference to your business. Together with our campus partners we have contributed more than half a billion pounds to the Cornish economy, sustained over 1,000 jobs a year—one of the main reasons our local community enjoys the lowest unemployment rates and highest average wages in the Duchy.
