26.01.05
Education minister visits Tremough

Dr Kim Howells, the Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education today saw at first hand some of the pioneering work taking place at the Tremough campus in Penryn. Falmouth College of Arts and the University of Exeter in Cornwall share Tremough as part of the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) initiative.

Staff from the University of Exeter in Cornwall's Camborne School of Mines gave Dr Howells a tour of their cutting edge £1.5 million microbeam analytical facility. The centrepiece of the facility is Qemscan, a sophisticated computer-controlled electron scanning microscope which analyses soil, dust and other inorganic samples with unprecedented speed and accuracy.

Dr Howells then toured Falmouth College of Arts Design Centre. Particular points of interest included the rapid prototyping suite, where computer design files are turned into 3D objects, and the pre-incubation area, where new businesses receive the facilities and support they need to flourish.

Much of the government funding for the recent developments at university and college sites across Cornwall has come via the Higher Education Funding Council for England, part of Dr Howells' portfolio, as part of the £65 million investment package secured by the CUC partnership in 2001. Other major investors include the South West of England Regional Development Agency, the Objective One partnership and Cornwall County Council.

"We are always delighted to show government ministers what is being achieved here in Cornwall,” said CUC Coordinator, Gordon Kelly.

"The CUC represents a unique approach to higher education and economic regeneration. By working as a partnership we are able to deliver the facilities and courses that the people and businesses of Cornwall need, which in turn is helping to strengthen the local economy. The partners at Tremough are also breaking new ground by physically sharing a campus.”

After leaving Tremough, Dr Howells' itinerary then took him to one of the CUC's partner Colleges, Cornwall College. There he was invited to view the new £5m Brunel Skills Centre, where he took the opportunity to meet students learning traditional skills, including building trades, plumbing and car maintenance.

The CUC partnership combines the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, Falmouth College of Arts, The Open University, The College of St Mark & St John, and the Peninsula Medical School, with Cornwall's Further Education colleges - Cornwall College, Truro College and Penwith College.

For further information please contact David Kirk in the CUC PR & Communications Office, Tel: 01326 370471, Mobile: 07834676942 or Email: david.kirk@cuc.ac.uk.

Editor's notes:

The Combined Universities in Cornwall is a dynamic and visionary partnership that is one of the driving forces behind Cornwall's renaissance. This partnership combines the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, Falmouth College of Arts, The Open University, The College of St Mark & St John, and the Peninsula Medical School, with Cornwall's Further Education colleges - Cornwall College, Truro College and Penwith College. It aims not only to provide the students of the future with more choice and greater opportunities, but also to boost the economic fortunes of the region for the benefit of one and all.

The CUC initiative has been invested in by the Objective One Partnership for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, the South West Regional Development Agency, Cornwall County Council and the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

For more information, please contact David Kirk in the CUC PR & Communications Office, Tel: 01326 37047, Mobile: 07834676942 or Email: david.kirk@cuc.ac.uk.

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

cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk

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