Annual Review 09/10 Ewvereer 9/10W 0/109W 0

glyndwr.ac.uk Annual RReRevieweevv9eeww 09/10099//1/1100 Glyndŵr University Building, Regent Street, Wrexham 2 annual review 09/10 contents leading north Wales out of the recession page 4 research page 9 news in brief page 10 the arts page 14 key performance indicators page 15 Welsh language page 16 board of governors page 18 honorary fellowships 2009/10 page 24 corporate governance page 26 financial statements page 29 annual review 09/10 3 leading North Wales out of the recession How can a recently created university in the north east of Wales transform the Welsh economy and help lead the country out of its current economic nightmare? That would be a formidable challenge for any institution but it is the one which Glyndwˆr University has taken up readily and adopted at the core of its own strategic development. Having been established at the start of the worst economic crisis in decades, it was inevitable that Glyndwˆr University would be shaped by the recession and the country’s response to it. Universities have an important role in any economic recovery and both the Assembly and UK Governments The University moved its growing research in composite have made it very clear what they expect of the university materials into a new Training and Development Centre, sector - closer collaboration with industry and the creation operated jointly with Airbus. of a highly skilled and versatile workforce. Both of these expectations are fundamental to Glyndwˆr University. It has extensive links with industry and through them has helped and is continuing to help many businesses overcome problems caused by the economic downturn. It has an excellent employment record for its graduates and many employers actively seek out Glyndwˆr University graduates for their high level of skills. Reshaping the North Wales Economy The University has attracted considerable investment into science and technology in North Wales with the potential for a fundamental reshaping of the Welsh economy as new well- paid employment opportunities open up. It has created new Glyndwˆr University scientists are building prototype mirrors partnerships and strengthened existing ones with multimillion for ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope pound developments in industrially based research and it has linked a wide range of economically important initiatives under a single strategy for economic recovery. 4 annual review 09/10 Glyndwˆr University was never intended to be an ivory tower, implement, Glyndwˆr University has pursued actively the strategy concentrating on theory or blue skies research. Rather it was with exciting initiatives at the sites along the A55 identified for always going to be an active participant and partner in the further development. social, cultural and economic development of North Wales. In These initiatives vary from the ESO Extremely Large Telescope every aspect of our society, in both public and private sectors, at St Asaph, through the new land based provision offered at the the University has sought not only to provide the intellectual University’s facility in Northop to the joint Advanced Composite raw materials necessary for social and economic growth but Materials Training and Development Centre with Airbus in also to act as a facilitator, bringing complementary talents and Broughton, the Centre for the Child and the Creative Industries resources together. building in Wrexham. At each site a project has been launched A downturn on the scale of the current economic crisis is to develop an important aspect of the University’s activities. bound to have an effect on an organisation such as a university These will all be supported by an enhanced supply chain of local which is so closely integrated within the social and economic businesses and partners and will bring employment and income infrastructure of North Wales. Many companies have closed into the areas. their doors, laying off loyal staff. Others, feeling the economic One of the most exciting developments currently being pinch, have reduced expenditure on staff development or undertaken by the University is its involvement in the ESO research to a minimum as cost efficiencies are sought. Despite (European Southern Observatory) project. ESO is the world’s this the need for universities has never been greater. Companies leading intergovernmental astronomy organisation which wishing to increase profitability or even just to survive now more operates a number of observatories mainly in South America. than ever need a competitive edge over other businesses in ESO’s most prestigious and scientifically significant project their sector. This greater competitiveness could be the result of is the designing and building of the European Extremely increased productivity resulting from a more effective workforce, Large Telescope. When operating, this facility will advance better integrated systems, new products or services or even vastly astrophysical knowledge, allowing detailed studies of just a better way of doing the existing work. Whatever the subjects including planets around other stars, the first objects need, the University has an important contribution to make in in the Universe, super-massive black holes and the nature and achieving it, whether it is in producing a highly skilled workforce, distribution of the dark matter and dark energy which dominate research and development, consultancy or access to specialist the Universe. Integral to this project is a revolutionary 42 metre knowledge or equipment. mirror. In order to achieve this, 1148 mirror segments have to Rather than meekly accepting this economic tsunami and be produced to an accuracy in excess of one-fortieth of a hair’s keeping its head down, Glyndwˆr University rose to the breadth and it is on this aspect that Glyndwˆr University scientists challenge and presented an alternative vision, one of recovery are working. and competitiveness, of growth and investment, of hope This project depends on a close partnership between the and prosperity. This vision was contained in the University’s University and industrial partners and has the potential to strategy for economic growth submitted to the Deputy First bring over €300 million into the North Wales economy with Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport. Rather consequential increases in the skills level of the local workforce. than merely producing the strategy and leaving it to others to annual review 09/10 5 Leading North Wales out of the Recession The Northop site has seen new academic programmes developed and two buildings significantly refurbished. Plans are being drawn up for a further expansion of research activities in Flintshire. Students on programmes at Northop have already started making an important contribution to the image and profile of the University in new areas as they win important RHS prizes for their design work. The long relationship between the University and Airbus has developed further with the University’s growing expertise in composite materials which led to the opening of the new Training and Development Centre at Broughton operated jointly with Airbus. The two Wrexham capital developments are also integral to the University’s continuing links with industry and the professions. The First Minister of Wales Rt. Hon Carwyn Jones AM during The Creative Industries Building scheduled for completion in a visit to the university’s research centre in St Asaph March 2011 will bring together practitioners in many varied fields of the creative industries sector, while the Centre for the Child and Family scheduled for completion in March 2011, will provide a focal point for the many disciplines surrounding all aspects of a child’s development. At the heart of the University’s strategy, therefore, are its links with industry: getting students into employment; ensuring employers have a suitably skilled workforce; giving businesses the competitive edge through research or consultancies; and bringing greater efficiencies to the public sector. Strength in Partnership Much of the high profile research undertaken in the UK today is funded by the Research Councils. With a combined budget of £2.8 billion the seven Councils account for approximately 70% of all universities’ research income. Traditionally and Work started on a new creative industries building increasingly the Councils have favoured the large traditional research intensive universities for their investment. The result of this is that the smaller, industrially relevant research is funded by the businesses themselves and much of it is conducted by the smaller, more locally based universities in partnership with businesses. Partnership is an important part of everything the University does. Indeed all the work undertaken by Glyndwˆr University in the development of new programmes, in research and increasingly in the University’s administration is in partnership with other educational providers, with industry or the public 6 annual review 09/10 sector. 23% of the University’s research income currently based education. Reforms of the university system in the comes from industry, a figure far higher than any other nineteenth century updated to some extent the university wuniversity in Wales. curriculum, but it was the creation of the new universities in the twentieth century that introduced the more utilitarian aspect of Small and medium sized enterprises make up approximately the university’s role. By the end of that century the university was 95% of businesses in North Wales. These rarely benefit from the seen purely

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