Northumbria University

Why we've signed the Manifesto

“Northumbria University is actively committed through its Corporate Strategy to use its teaching and research activities to make a real difference to people, enterprises and communities and drive economic, social and cultural development. Successful initiatives in support of this mission already run across our eight Academic Schools, supported by staff within our professional service departments.

The Urban Regeneration: Making A Difference programme is a model example of our efforts in this area. This project brought together more than 200 experts from four large Northern universities who collaborated with more than 600 external organisations to tackle major economic and social regeneration issues in our cities. The scheme was commended by Times Higher Education, which named it the most outstanding example of Knowledge Exchange in 2010.

Student engagement is also a priority for Northumbria University and we actively encourage our students to support and volunteer with community organisations. One such project, in which a student worked with refugees and asylum seekers to improve their English skills through creative writing, won a national Vinspired award. Two further student projects – one of which uses drama to aid the confidence and communication skills of children living with foster parents – have been shortlisted for this year’s awards.

The National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement provides an ideal framework to support the engagement work of universities nationwide and this can only be of benefit to allow better targeting of support to areas most in need; as well as improved collaboration between universities operating similar programmes.

Northumbria University is delighted to be one of the first universities to sign NCCPE’s Manifesto and look forward to working in full support its excellent endeavours.”

Professor Andrew Wathey, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Northumbria University