Newcastle University is today celebrating the individuals, communities, businesses and organisations that play a critical role in shaping teaching and research and bringing real value to its practices.
Showcasing the University’s new vision through these important and successful partnerships, the aim is to highlight the breadth of its work in the region and beyond and why these relationships are key to ensuring its teaching and research has a positive impact.
Professor Chris Day, Vice-Chancellor and President of Newcastle University, unveiled the new Vision last year, outlining the future direction for the institution.
Building on Newcastle’s strengths as one of the UK’s great civic, research-intensive universities, part of the N8 Research Partnership, the vision outlines a commitment to providing new knowledge and creativity that will have a positive impact on the economy and society of the region, the UK and globally.
Underpinning the Vision are four core strategies which have been developed to demonstrate how Newcastle University will tackle some of the challenges faced by society. These encompass Education for Life, Research for Discovery and Impact, Engagement and Place, and Global.
Professor Day said: “We are now seeing the vision in action. We are seeing what a university should be – how our research and teaching adds value and helps to bring about real change and benefit for society. But this only happens if we work hand-in-hand with our partners, listen to what is needed and work together to bring about real innovation and positive change.”
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Julie Sanders, said: “This is an opportunity for us to showcase some of the brilliant examples of what we can achieve by working together. The new Engagement and Place strategy recognises a long history of partnership and co-production at Newcastle University but in light of our deep commitment to social justice in a local and global context, it is important that we use that shared strength to continue to do great things.
“Last month, Newcastle University became one of the first organisations in the UK to declare a climate emergency. We are aiming to lead on this issue visibly in terms of our research, our teaching and our students’ societal contribution. But we will only be able to make lasting and positive change by operating as a collective and with common purpose and so, in the end, it comes back to the importance of our partnerships, large and small, and of working together.”
The Vision in action
During the day events are being held across the region which shine a light on some of the partners which are so vital to Newcastle University, from businesses, schools, voluntary and community organisations to the NHS and cultural partners.
These include training volunteers in conservation techniques as part of a wider project to preserve Hadrian’s Wall, a workshop at the University’s Business School to help regional SMEs get the most from their data and an engineering outreach event for schoolchildren.
The University is also hosting The Journal’s round table debate on Future Cities as part of its Invest North East campaign. Bringing together key influencers in the region, the panel will be discussion how partners can work together to prepare our cities for the future.
The day will culminate in a celebration at the University’s museum – GNM in the shadow of Dippy, the Natural History Museum’s iconic Diplodocus cast, and will be a showcase of the University’s Vision in Action, with particular focus on its role in the region.
As part of the launch, representatives from some of our partner organisations were asked what they thought were the key benefits of working together. Carl Ennis, Managing Director, Siemens Energy Management, UK and Ireland, said: “The real benefit of this relationship is the inspiration of working with the young talent at Newcastle University and that has been absolutely fundamental for taking steps forward to find solutions for those real world problems.”
Tina Massey, VOICE member, said: “It really does your heart good to feel that you are doing something good and doing something helpful. And now we are a part of something that really is moving the city and the region forward, nationally and internationally and that’s wonderful.”
Councillor Nick Forbes, Leader of Newcastle City Council, said: “Newcastle University is rooted in our local communities, dynamic and ambitious, not just to change Newcastle, but to change the world.”