01.08.08
University ready for Newquay surf show – whatever the weather

The University of Exeter is using the latest green technology to showcase its Tremough Campus at Newquay's surf, skate and music event, Rip Curl Boardmasters, from 4 to 10 August. Knowing that a Cornish summer can be unpredictable, the University is prepared for any kind of weather – the power for equipment on its stand comes from a new device that uses both solar and wind energy.

Visitors to the University's stand can charge their mobile phones for free using a device that generates energy from a combination of a wind turbine and solar panels. This unique device was created by Jonah Kinross, who graduated this summer with a degree in Renewable Energy from the University of Exeter's Tremough Campus. The transportable power device is being developed for use in disaster relief situations, where it could provide power for lighting, communication and irrigation. Jonah is setting up his own company, Kraft Maus, to market his creation and also works for St Agnes based company Natural Generation.

The University hopes to raise awareness of its Cornwall Campus, which is near Penryn, to the 150,000 people expected to attend Europe's biggest surf event.

University students will talk to visitors about student life in Cornwall and answer questions about what the University of Exeter can offer those who want to study in Cornwall. Visitors may recognise champion surfer Jake Boex, whose professional surfing career took him all over the globe. Now a PhD Geography student at the University of Exeter's Tremough Campus, Jake was inspired to study climate change as a result of witnessing the impacts of human activity on the environment as he travelled the world. Jake will be available to talk to visitors about postgraduate study and may also be able to share his tips on the best places to surf in Cornwall.

Katy Davidson, Marketing Manager for the University of Exeter's Cornwall Campus said: "The University of Exeter attracts students for many reasons, not least our reputation as one of the UK's top 20 universities. But we know that this is not the only reason people want to study with us on our Cornwall Campus. Cornwall has a unique environment, making it a very different kind of place to study. We hope that some of the visitors to Boardmasters will be inspired to combine their love of studying and surfing by applying to take their degree with us in Cornwall."

The £100 million Tremough Campus is a Combined Universities in Cornwall initiative ­of which the University of Exeter and University College Falmouth are two of the founding partners. It is funded mainly by the European Union (Objective One), the South West Regional Development Agency, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, with support from Cornwall County Council. Set in 70 acres of countryside, but close to the waterside towns of Penryn and Falmouth, the campus offers a lively student community. The University of Exeter now offers degrees in Biology, Modern Celtic and Cornish Studies, English, Geology, Geography, History, Law, Mining Engineering, Politics and Renewable Energy on the Tremough Campus, which has expanded rapidly as part of the Combined Universities in Cornwall initiative.

For further information please contact Sarah Hoyle, Press Officer, University of Exeter, on 01392 262062/07989 446920 or email s.hoyle@exeter.ac.uk.

The Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has invested in the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) project, both Phase 1 and Phase 2, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF). University of Exeter is a partner of the CUC.

Editor's notes:

Clare Morgan
Media Relations Manager
The Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mobile: 07973 813647
Telephone: 01872 223439

cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk

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