23.03.05
£55 Million Secured for Combined University in Cornwall Phse 2

University-level education and regeneration in Cornwall today received a massive boost with the announcement that Objective One and the UK Government have agreed to provide the majority of the £55 million investment needed for a second phase of the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) initiative.

CUC Phase 2 will see the creation of new higher education facilities at campuses right across Cornwall, where students will be able to choose from over 50 new university-level courses, in addition to the 400+ courses already offered. This new wave of investment is expected to provide over 2000 extra jobs in Cornwall by 2025, adding to the 2,350 jobs that will be created over the next twenty years as a result of the £65 million secured by the CUC partnership in 2001. The extra money will lead to the creation of around 2,400 student places by 2010, by which time Cornwall's student population will exceed 7,300.

But the CUC is not just a higher education initiative. The investment will have a very positive effect on Cornwall's economy by helping the development and growth of new innovative businesses. It is the combination of business development and higher education which is a key feature of the initiative.

Alan Livingston, Chair of the CUC Steering Group and Principal of University College Falmouth, said: "This is a tremendous endorsement for Cornwall and the CUC partnership. We have shown that we can deliver world-class facilities and education, and that we can attract outstanding staff and students. With this fresh support from the Government, the Objective One Partnership and our other investors we will provide even more opportunities for students and businesses to build brilliant futures in Cornwall."

The new developments planned as part of CUC Phase 2 are outlined below:

• The University of Exeter in Cornwall and University College Falmouth will create additional academic and social facilities at the Tremough campus. University College Falmouth will also build dedicated facilities at Tremough to develop its specialisms in art, design and media.

• Cornwall College will construct or enhance higher education facilities at its campuses in Camborne, Newquay, Saltash and St. Austell. Cornwall College's Duchy College campuses at Rosewarne and Stoke Climsland will also benefit from new buildings.

• Truro College will add the Fal building to its main campus providing extra teaching, catering, learning resources and student facilities.

• Penwith College will receive investment for higher education facilities which will form part of its planned new Penzance campus.

• Investment will be made in distance learning technologies and programmes to further improve access to higher education for the people of Cornwall.

• The CUC partnership will receive more investment to strengthen ties between academic institutions and businesses in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

All the new facilities will be ready to welcome students in September 2007 at the latest. Most of the new courses that will be offered through Cornwall College, Truro College and Penwith College will be two-year foundation degrees, which will be developed in conjunction with local businesses and awarded by the University of Plymouth.

Carleen Kelemen, Director of the Objective One Partnership for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: "This announcement is great news for all. Since 2000, when the Objective One Programme began in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, the main aim has been to boost the region's long-term economic performance. The Partnership sees knowledge and skills as the best routes to this end and as such almost £50 million from the Objective One European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) has already been invested in the first phase of the CUC and the Knowledge Spa. The CUC vision recognises that in a knowledge-based, global economy, education - particularly higher education - is increasingly the difference between prosperity and decline."

Stephen Bohane, head of operations for the RDA in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: "The CUC is the flagship regeneration project in Cornwall under Objective One and is already exceeding expectations in terms of the quality and numbers of students it is attracting.

"Forging close links between Higher Education and business is a vital part of the RDA's regional economic strategy which is why the CUC remains a priority for us. Phase 2 will help create and grow new businesses and with them new jobs in key sectors like environmental technology and the creative industries; that's where our money will be used."

Investment for CUC Phase 2 is coming from the Department of Education and Skills and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (£21 million in total), and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (£3.75 million). Investment from Objective One (£25.4 million) and the South West Regional Development Agency (£2.4 million) is subject to the authorisation of investment applications.

CONTACTS:

For more information on the CUC:
David Kirk, CUC PR & Communications Office
Tel: 01326 370471
Mobile: 07834676942
e mail: david.kirk@cuc.ac.uk

For more information on the individual developments at the college sites mentioned above, please contact the relevant press offices:

Cornwall College / Duchy College:
Georgina Dale
Tel: 01209 616390
email: george.dale@cornwall.ac.uk

Truro College:
Jean Mooney
Tel: 01872 267198
email: jeanm@trurocollege.ac.uk

Penwith College:
Jonathan Jones
Tel: 01736 335000
email: jaj1@penwith.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, University College Falmouth, 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.

Phase 1 of 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. The CUC is the flagship project of the Objective One programme.

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

back to top