Latest news from º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ

8 Dec 2014

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ awarded £5 million to develop state-of-the-art STEM facilities

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ has been awarded £5 million from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to enhance its teaching and learning facilities for science, technology, engineering and mathematics – known as STEM subjects.

The funding will help º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ to develop ‘STEMLab’ – a multi-million pound, state-of-the-art suite of teaching and learning facilities.

The award is part of a £200 million fund, announced by the Government, to boost the flow of highly employable STEM graduates into industry.

STEMLab will provide science and engineering laboratories, workshops, computer-aided design and rapid prototyping facilities, a design studio and informal learning spaces. It will be the cornerstone of a new student learning zone at the west end of the University’s campus.

“STEMLab is a very exciting concept,” says Professor Robert Allison, Vice Chancellor of º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ. “It will bring together teaching facilities for many of the University’s science and engineering disciplines. Students will be able to design, engineer, build and test their innovations in a single location and, importantly, interact with others studying related science and engineering subjects.”

The HEFCE funding will also enable the University to develop a suite of teaching programmes in bio-science and bio-engineering – fast growing disciplines that use traditional engineering and science techniques to address biological and medical issues. These programmes will expand on º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s existing strengths in sports science, rehabilitation and regenerative medicine.

Professor Allison says: “º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is one of the largest providers of STEM graduates in the country. STEMLab will allow us to expand our teaching provision in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and broaden the vital role we play in the pipeline supply of skilled graduates to industry.”

In addition, STEMLab will be a focal point for the University’s activities that seek to engage school-age students with science and engineering, such as the annual º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ Engineering Experience for Year 12 students and the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Top of the Bench competition. Such activities play a crucial role in helping students from different backgrounds find out more about university life and showcasing the range of careers open to STEM graduates.

It is anticipated that STEMLab will be operational by the end of 2016.

Notes for editors

Article reference number: PR 14/216

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, putting it among the best universities in the world, and was named Sports University of the Year 2013-14 by The Times and Sunday Times. º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and has been voted England's Best Student Experience for six years running in the Times Higher Education league. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

In 2015 the University will open an additional academic campus in London’s new innovation quarter. º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ in London, based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, will offer postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities.

Contact for all media enquiries

Hannah Baldwin
Head of PR
º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ
T: 01509 222239
E: H.E.Baldwin@lboro.ac.uk