Bournemouth University campus
This week we are showcasing Bournemouth University. Find out more about BU below, read Vice-Chancellor Professor John Vinney’s blog ‘Six degrees of separation‘ and check out how the Creative Enterprise Bureau at BU is connecting business problems with academic research and expertise.
We only need three words to describe what we do at Bournemouth University – Creating, Sharing and Inspiring.
These philosophies form the backbone of our new Vision and Values – BU2018, which was launched last year. The vision describes how we will create knowledge, share it, and inspire people through a combination of inspirational education, world-class research and professional practice, which we have dubbed ‘Fusion’.
The ultimate aim is to provide a personalised student experience, where students are actively engaged in all aspects of their learning. They will receive an excellent education through a range of engagements with academics who are at the top of their field, and through the opportunity to work collaboratively and share knowledge with their peers. They will be involved in, and aware of, research relevant to their subject areas so that they develop critical thinking skills, appreciate the importance of knowledge generation and experience the joy of discovery. The courses that they study will prepare them for professional practice, having been developed and shaped through close collaboration with industry, and all students will have the option to undertake a placement while studying at BU.
“The ultimate aim is to provide a personalised student experience, where students are actively engaged in all aspects of their learning.”
Fusion is important because we have a strong professional orientation with a focus on academic excellence and graduate employability. Our students thrive on the connections that they build whilst at BU and beyond. All undergraduate students are offered professional placements which helps maintain the University as one of the top UK institutions for graduate employment. We actually have more full-time undergraduate students on sandwich courses than any other university in England. Our contribution to the economy is important and our work with local, national and international businesses is a source of considerable pride.
Media production at BU
We are recognised as the only Centre for Excellence in Media Practice in the UK and our National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA) is a global leader in education and research in computer animation and visualisation.
NCCA graduate Andy Lockley won an Oscar in 2011 for his visual effects work on the 2010 blockbuster Inception, with Paul Franklin, who himself became an honorary doctorate of BU in November 2012, describing the honour as “more special” than winning an Oscar.
The work of our NCCA also received endorsement from Her Majesty The Queen as a winner of the 2012 Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education.
BU has approximately 17,000 students studying across six academic schools: the Media School; the School of Health and Social Care; the School of Tourism; the School of Applied Sciences; the School of Design, Engineering and Computing; and the Business School.
Through these schools, we are building an international reputation for the quality of our research, and the areas we focus on are diverse. They range from research into dementia care at the new Bournemouth University Dementia Institute (BUDI) to fish biology in the Centre for Conservation Ecology and Environmental Sciences (BU is the world number one for fish biology research).
We are embedding our passion for research so that it connects with our teaching and professional activity.
The University is currently going through a large programme of investment in our buildings and facilities as part of our commitment to enhancing the student experience. That experience will be further strengthened by listening to what our students have to say and ensuring that their journey is fulfilling in every sense of the word: academically, pastorally and socially. We are embedding our passion for research so that it connects with our teaching and professional activity. After all, the creation and dissemination of knowledge is at the heart of everything we do here at BU.
In June 2013 BU launches one of its most ambitious projects to date – the Festival of Learning. Over 100 events for up to 5,000 members of the local community will be taking place around Bournemouth that will demonstrate the significance and impact of our research, the economic and social benefits that the University brings to the region, and the benefits of studying at BU – both for personal development and for future career prospects.
For further details, please contact James Donald on 01202 961032 or 07725 214274.
