UNIVERSITY OF SUFFOLK NEWS WELCOME First impressions Welcoming, passionate, well supported and sunny, This is a privilege as well as especially so over the last few weeks. These are the words a responsibility and one we that come to mind when I think back over my first few need to take seriously. We weeks here at the University of Suffolk. will be stronger together and be able to make a greater I have been delighted by the very warm welcome that impact together for our the University of Suffolk family has given me on my students, our community arrival and the willingness to meet me, talk with me, and our economy and this is share thoughts and ideas, and help me settle into this an important feature of our new role. Many of you have commented that we are so place in the town, the county friendly because we are small; this certainly makes it and the region. easier although I was struck by my attendance at one of our recent staff development days where about 25 staff I have lost count of the number of times that people from across the University were working together and the mentioned Sussex or Surrey when my new role was feedback included enjoying the opportunity to get to know announced. Suffolk, the county with the most days of colleagues that were not known previously. As we grow sunshine in the UK, is a hidden gem with its rural idylls, its in size as an institution lets keep remembering that its our coastal landscapes and its lovely historic towns. relationships with people that make an organisation thrive Suffolk also houses the biggest digi-tech company with the and succeed and that we all need one another and all have largest number of patents in the UK logged under Ipswich, an important part to play. the largest off shore wind farm in the world, a world The other overwhelming sense is the passion that we all famous racecourse, manages 50% of all the UK freight have for our University. We are the University and I feel very through its ports, etc., etc. Simply putting Suffolk and our privileged to be working with such a passionate group of University on the map as the go to place for industry and people who clearly want us to thrive, grow and develop education is not an option; we need to ensure we remain at into a mature higher education institution. Please don’t the heart of the regeneration of our beautiful county. lose your passion for your work and your institution, its an So thank you for the lovely welcome you have given me, integral part of our values and our DNA and will carry us far I have really appreciated it. And as we approach the end of in our endeavours. the academic year may I take this opportunity to say thank I have been very struck by the enormous support and pride you for all your hard work over the last year and I look that our external partners have in our University. This was forward to all that the forthcoming academic year has in palpable during my interview process and has been borne store. out since in the many meetings I have had with our external Professor Helen Langton stakeholders who are determined to see us succeed. Vice-Chancellor Issue 4 Summer 2018 page 1 Professor Mohammad Dastbaz A YEAR IN FOCUS Deputy Vice-Chancellor The 2017-18 academic year has been a momentous year in the young life of the University of Suffolk. A year since its independence on 1 August 2016, we have seen significant developments in the University’s portfolio of courses, its research, its community engagement and impact, and in its constant drive to provide an excellent student experience. Excellent Student Experience Our new portfolio As a community impact higher education institution and as a Becoming an independent university meant university proud of having the 3rd largest community of students from that we had the opportunity to look at our ‘Widening Participation’ (WP) backgrounds, we put our students at the undergraduate and postgraduate portfolio heart of our planning and development. The National Students Survey of courses and embark on an ambitious (NSS), as one measure of how students view their University provided programme of development responding to us with very encouraging feedback. The NSS 2017 was the first year our regions need for economic growth and that University of Suffolk entered in as an independent University. providing the highly skilled workforce required We were extremely pleased that 10 of our courses received 100% to implement the industrial strategy. Thus, a satisfaction. The courses receiving 100% were: BA (Hons) English, whole range of new programmes including BA (Hons) History, BA (Hons) Graphic Design, BA (Hons) Photography, Cyber Security, Architecture, Law, Economics, BSc (Hons) Psychology and Sociology, BSc (Hons) Psychology and Project Management, and Marketing, to name Criminology, BSc (Hons) Radiotherapy and Oncology, BSc (Hons) a few, were developed and successfully Child Health Nursing, BSc (Hons) Mental Health Nursing (Work Based), validated. The new areas of development have and FdSc Network Engineering. We are looking forward to seeing the been backed with significant investment by NSS 2018 results, published on 27 July 2018. the University putting in place new resources and around 30 new high calibre academic staff We wrapped up the year with the University of Suffolk significantly joining our University. improving its overall position as well as its subject rankings; these th included our History programme being ranked 5 in the country, our As part of our new portfolio development, we th Photography programme ranked 10 , and a number of subject areas also worked closely with our local business being ranked in the top 30 universities in the country. and community partners to put in place a With our new Vice-Chancellor, Professor Helen Langton, starting range of degree apprenticeship programmes on 1 June, we have ended the 2017-18 academic year on a high and ready for delivery in the 2017-18 academic in short, this has been a year of significant development for our year. The University now has over 200 degree University, which has laid the foundation for our future successful apprenticeship students going through development. programmes in Adult Nursing, Business Management Professional (Chartered Manager), Digital and Technology Solutions, Mental n History ranked 5th in the country, out of 96 institutions Health Nursing, and Healthcare Assistant n Photography ranked 10th out of 67 Practitioner (Higher Apprenticeship). We have n Design ranked 26th out of 75 also put in place plans to start new degrees and n Health Profession ranked 28th out of 72 postgraduate apprenticeships in areas such rd n English rising 43 places to 33 out of 105 as Cyber Security Technical Professional, MBA st n Criminology ranked 31 out of 64 (Senior Leader Masters Degree Apprenticeship), th n Sport Sciences ranked 37 out of 76 Social Work and Policing for delivery in 2018-19. Issue 4 Summer 2018 page 2 Professor Mohammad Dastbaz Deputy Vice-Chancellor A YEAR IN FOCUS The first Suffolk Sustainability and Innovation Summit On 9 January 2018, we held an important conference on was held within the Ipswich Waterfront Innovation Centre ‘Emerging and Current Challenges in Cyber Crime’ jointly (IWIC) at the University of Suffolk on 2 February 2018. with the Centre of Excellence in Terrorism, Resilience, Intelligence and Crime at Sheffield Hallam University. The event brought together Industry and Academic Keynote speakers including Tim Passmore, Chief Crime Leaders, businesses, students and key stakeholders to Commissioner, and Chief Constable, Gareth Wilson, talked reflect on how innovation is unlocking the true value of about the challenges of cyber crime and online security incorporating sustainability into business strategy. The facing our communities. This event also saw the launch event also saw the launch of the Suffolk Sustainability of the ‘Institute of Security’ led by Professor Nicholas Institute (SSI) in partnership with Suffolk County Council. Caldwell. This Institute will provide consultancy and research, support innovation, and enable knowledge transfer On 5 February, we launched a partnership with Leeds and skills development for business, community, policy Beckett University running the ‘One Suffolk’ initiative for and place makers, in Suffolk and through UK-wide Suffolk County Council. The launch coincided with the established networks. The Institute will provide a regional establishment of a new Centre for Health and Wellbeing centre of excellence for transforming and supporting a Research at the University of Suffolk. The Centre for Health constant dynamic progression towards UN’s Sustainable and Wellbeing Research is led by Professor Jill Robinson Development Goals (SDGs). Cllr Matthew Hicks, from and resides within our School of Health Sciences. The Suffolk County Council, delivered a keynote speech at the Centre brings together a growing body of research from summit emphasising the importance of the new Institute across the institution and aims to develop its portfolio of and the collaboration between the University and Suffolk funded research responding to key health and wellbeing County Council. challenges within the local population. Developing our research The 2017-18 academic year also saw significant developments in our research portfolio. A number of new research institutes and centres were established, and the University hosted a number of significant national conferences. Issue 4 Summer 2018 page 3 IN FOCUS Exploring neaco The Network for East Anglian HEC activities in schools and the community Collaborative Outreach (neaco) The HECs deliver, organise and commission a very wide is a consortium of five universities range of activities at schools but also organise educational trips and visits to universities and colleges across the and eight Further Education (FE) region.