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Minister pays visit to Teesside University

30 September 2015

 

Teesside University Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Croney welcomed the Government minister responsible for higher education to the new multi-million Campus Heart.

Jo Johnson MP, the Minister of State for Universities and Science, toured Teesside’s Middlesbrough campus as part of a visit to the region.

Mr Johnson also met with senior representatives of the North-East universities and further education colleges for a round table discussion on higher education.

He was hosted at The Curve, Teesside University’s iconic new £20m flagship learning and teaching building. The state-of-the-art, four-storey building features social learning spaces, multi-purpose areas for reception, events and exhibitions, general purpose teaching rooms and a large auditorium lecture theatre.

It is part of the £30m newly-pedestrianised Campus Heart around Southfield Road which includes extensive landscaping, public art, lighting and projections, and a green ‘living’ wall featuring a giant digital screen.

In recent years, Teesside University has invested nearly quarter of a billion pounds in improving its campus.

The minister was also shown the University’s cutting-edge animation and video game technology at the Phoenix Building where students from Darlington’s Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College gave him a demonstration of the Green Screen theatre.

He also toured the newly-refurbished Orion Building where he was shown the latest technology used to train students in the School of Science & Engineering including a distillation plant, jet engine testing laboratories and a flight simulator unit.

Professor Paul Croney, Vice-Chancellor of Teesside University, said: 'We were delighted to welcome the minister to our campus at Middlesbrough for what was his first visit to the North East of England.

'We were able to demonstrate how Teesside University has worked closely with our industry partners to provide the training and skills needed, now and in the future, for their businesses to succeed and for the economy to grow, here in the Tees Valley and also nationally.”

Ashley Mehnert, President of the Students’ Union added: 'It was good to meet with the Minister and talk about the many fantastic recent successes here at the University and Students’ Union. He was clearly very impressed both with them and the contribution we make to student life at the University in general.

'As a representative of students, I always welcome the opportunity to speak to influential figures directly about the University, Students’ Union and the area. His visit has hopefully given him an even greater appreciation of the huge potential and excellent developments taking place here on Teesside.'

Earlier in the day, Mr Johnson had opened the new National Biologics and Manufacturing Centre at Central Park in Darlington.

The centre will work closely with The Forge, Teesside University’s business hub, which is also situated at Central Park at the University’s £13m Darlington campus.


 
 
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