Universities re-affirm strategic partnership for city

With the new academic year now well underway, Newcastle and Northumbria universities have re-affirmed their commitment to working together to improve the health, wealth and wellbeing of Newcastle and the wider region.

Both universities have a long-established tradition of working collaboratively, and in July 2021 formalised this partnership through the Collaborative Newcastle Universities Agreement.

The partnership brings together the world-leading expertise of both organisations to support the local economy and build a sustainable and more inclusive future for the communities of Newcastle and beyond. One example of this is a shared commitment to widening access to Higher Education and ensuring that young people from the Newcastle and beyond can access university regardless of their background.

Professor Chris Day, Vice-Chancellor and President, Newcastle University, said: “As someone born and bred in the North East, it is really important to me that we use the collective power at Newcastle and Northumbria universities to support our local communities.

“Through our world-class research and as major local employers, both universities play important roles in our city and its right that we look for innovative ways to work together and with our students and partners on some of the biggest challenges we face to bring about positive change.”

Professor Andy Long, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Northumbria University, said: “The impact of our roles as anchor institutions in Newcastle is significant and wide-ranging. The Collaborative Newcastle Universities Agreement is a sector-leading example of civic engagement, and building on the foundations we’ve laid, our vision for the future is to take this collaboration even further and make even greater contribution to the city than we already do.

“Working together and with other partners in the city, we’ll continue to develop the skills base of the future, tackle net zero challenges and stimulate sustainable and inclusive economic growth.”

Since launching the Collaborative Newcastle Universities Agreement, the partners have developed a number of joint projects to address challenges facing Newcastle and the North East.

One of the first projects was the IntoNewcastle East centre, in Walker. Launched in July 2021, the centre is a partnership between Newcastle and Northumbria Universities and IntoUniversity – the UK’s largest university access charity – which aims to help young people from local schools to identify and achieve their aspirations post-16, including progressing to university. The centre provides academic support including mentoring and a variety of enrichment and work experience opportunities to more than 1,200 local young people. The partnership is now looking at opening another centre in the region.

The two universities are integrally linked to Newcastle and recognise that a productive and supportive relationship between universities, students and the City Council is beneficial for all. The universities and their students enhance the life of the city culturally, economically and socially, and similarly the city enhances the lives of both staff and students. As such, the universities have a long-standing history of working to make Newcastle the best possible place for their students and everyone who resides here.

Both universities work closely in partnership with the Police and the Council and meet regularly with the aim of supporting positive community relationships. There are also regular student campaigns such as Leave Newcastle Happy which runs at the end of each academic year to ensure that students leaving private accommodation in Newcastle can dispose of and recycle unwanted items, avoiding littering and increasing sustainable disposal of unwanted items.

Building on this existing collaboration, the universities are currently working together on a new student engagement forum to improve the student experience and address a range of challenges that may arise in the communities in which our students live. The universities are also working together to jointly identify initiatives to enhance student wellbeing and mental health, recognising this as an area of increasing importance. Work is also under way between the universities, students and city council to understand housing supply and demand and to develop proactive and creative approaches to current and future student housing needs in the city.

The two universities are also working with Newcastle City Council to understand how best they can use their expertise to support the city towards Net Zero and they are additionally leading work with a range of city and regional stakeholders to understand and respond to regional skills needs in healthcare.

Alongside this, the two universities are working with partners to identify ways to promote Newcastle as a global city in which to live, work and study. In addition to its diverse community of current students from over 130 countries, together, Newcastle and Northumbria universities have an international community of almost half a million alumni from all over the world.

Pam Smith, Chief Executive at Newcastle City Council said:

“I am delighted that the universities continue to work closely together, and with the City Council, through the Collaborative Newcastle Universities Agreement. It highlights their commitment to working together on some of the biggest challenges faced by society to bring about positive change for our city and beyond at a time when this is more important than ever. 

“As anchor institutions, both universities play important roles in our city. Not just through the diversity that they bring through the thousands of students that they attract, but also through their roles as employers and their world-class research expertise.  

“We look forward to continuing to work with them in the next stage of this collaboration and growing our partnership further to deliver our vision for Newcastle.”

The reaffirmation of the Collaborative Newcastle Universities Agreement follows the recent announcement of plans to create Universities for North East England (UNEE), a wider regional partnership between the five universities in North East England.

UNEE is a collaboration between Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside Universities, working alongside the Tees Valley and North East Combined Authorities. Speaking in a unified, place-informed voice, the partnership aims to make higher education accessible for study, business, innovation, and investment and offering regional insight to help inform national higher education policy.