the big
interview
UWL supports innovation and enterprise Matt Snowden has spent the last two-and-a-bit decades in the fast-evolving higher education sector, which is a world away from his initial career choice.
“When I was five, I wanted to work in a tomato sauce factory,” says Matt, who currently holds the dual roles of Dean of Academic Partnerships (UK) and Director of Research and Enterprise Operations at the University of West London (UWL). “My career didn’t quite turn out like that but that’s probably a good thing!” Matt grew up in Walsall “at the edge of the black country” and studied philosophy, politics and economics at university. After that he worked in various roles in the public sector, including a job in the careers service where he managed a database that provided people with information on a wide range of training opportunities. He then went to the former Training and Enterprise Council where he landed a job advising people on apprenticeship opportunities. Matt moved into higher education in the late 1990s and in 2005 joined Stafford University as director of business development and resources, where he was responsible for growing new revenue streams and increasing entrepreneurial activity at the organisation. After a six-year stint there, he moved to UWL and has been there for almost a decade. Matt says: “Part of my role involves working with other organisations to support the delivery of training programmes and broaden our reach into different communities. I’m also responsible for generating alternative revenue streams – from research opportunities and apprenticeships, for example. We’ve grown
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our apprenticeship provision and its now worth around £4.5 million a year to the university.” UWL is a long standing Patron of the Chambers and is renowned for its high-performing School of Law. Its law courses are recognised as being the top in London for satisfaction in the Guardian Good University Guide 2022 and top in London for teaching quality in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022. UWL also has within its stable the London College of Music, which is the largest specialist music and performing arts institution in the UK.
business issues. We’d love more businesses to come to us with real-world challenges that our students can help to solve.” UWL has also established a centre for levelling up to discuss key policy issues and explore how education can support social mobility.
“There are huge inequalities in London, as well as in other parts of the UK,” says Matt. “We want to make sure that all people across London get fair access to learning and career opportunities.
Matt says: “About one third of what we do is not related to teaching. We’ve bought a small acting school in London and Ruskin College in Oxford, which provides learning and career opportunities for people from a range of different backgrounds.”
“We have three core missions at UWL. Firstly, there’s the creation of knowledge via our research; we ensure that staff who want to contribute to our research portfolio get the time to do so. Secondly, we try to impart this knowledge to students through our teaching.
Also central to UWL’s work is its relationships with employers. UWL works with companies to find out what their needs are – both now and in the future – and tailors its learning provision to suit.
“The third mission is to use our knowledge base to support employers and drive innovation and economic wealth. We encourage academics to engage with the outside world and come up with solutions to real-world issues.
Matt says: “We want our graduates to be employable when they leave us. We ensure that they acquire softer skills – skills that they can take into life and employment. The whole purpose of a degree is to give people a range of critical skills that are valued by employers.
“As part of students’ assessment, we offer internships and live briefs where they solve key
“We also want to fast-track the next generation of entrepreneurs. Our incubator hub supports about 20 start-up businesses at any one time. Small businesses of today might be the big businesses of tomorrow. Starting a business is now seen as a viable career. People want more control over their lives and being your own boss makes that possible.”
