EDUCATION
& TRAINING
Professor Emma Hunt, vice-chancellor and chief executive, Falmouth University
LEVELLING UP: FOR ONE AND ALL... As the new vice chancellor of Falmouth University, I was very interested in the recent publication of the Government’s Levelling Up White paper. As an anchor institution in Cornwall, Falmouth has an important role to play in supporting the growth of the local economy and I was keen to see how Higher Education will fit into the Government’s plan to spread opportunity and prosperity more widely across the UK. The White Paper presented a thorough and compelling analysis of the complex interdependencies that create ‘successful’ regions. Among the 332 pages, there were two key areas for universities to get their teeth into: Research & Development and higherlevel skills. While it was good to see HE institutions identified as having a “vital part to play in supporting regional economies, as significant local employers and through their role as anchor institutions”, it would have strengthened the case if there was greater responsibility apportioned to universities on the skills agenda. Empowering local leadership, putting local businesses at the heart of provision and investing in FE are policies to be applauded, but Vice Chancellors and universities should not be excluded from this mission – we all have an important part to play. Universities across the country are already working in lockstep with their local authority and industry leaders to tailor their academic provision to local need, widen access and participation, and to provide Knowledge Exchange, business partnerships and CPD to support local skills development with the core aim of increasing productivity.
In Cornwall, it’s no different. For example, our Launchpad Outreach teams work with local SMEs across the county to identify new ways of helping them grow, innovate and launch new products and experiences. Our Immersive Business lab is helping companies adopt augmented, virtual and extended reality to transform their businesses. We’re proud that our students are working with the likes of Spaceport Cornwall, Goonhilly and local FE partners, helping to develop VR experiences for new space launches, trips to outer space, hologram presentations and satellite deployments. These cutting-edge tools are incredible tools for boosting engagement and participation. These efforts help to plug employment gaps, strengthen business capacity and hone future skills and opportunities for our graduate base. It’s ‘Levelling Up’ in action. When it comes to R&D funding, the White Paper raised questions about the Government’s commitment to spending an increased proportion of public R&D investment outside the greater south east. Historically, rural and dispersed communities miss out to the large cities and areas of economic prosperity when it comes to investment funding. Levelling-up R&D must include place-based investment that assesses value for money and critical mass against comparator regions, or social or environmental induced impacts, rather than national statistics and an arbitrary measure of ‘excellence’.
Support local skills development with the core aim of increasing productivity
36 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
I’m proud Falmouth is applying its research capacity to address real world challenges, including some of Cornwall’s biggest social
and structural roadblocks, focusing its creative and technical efforts on improving health and social opportunities for the most vulnerable and isolated in our communities. The Connected Healthcare Project (CHC) is one example, using satellite technology to the improve the delivery of mental health care, diabetes care and clinical education in remote communities. Working with the Cornwall Museums Partnership and the LEP, our wAVE Project aims to use Cornwall’s distinctive heritage to support digital innovation and economic diversification in coastal communities by maximising Cornwall’s digital infrastructure, skills, and heritage for the benefit of the local economy. And this is my final observation of the White Paper; there isn’t enough about the importance of culture and creativity. Now accounting for 5.9% of the UK economy and supporting innovation across the economy more broadly, creativity is essential in the future economy. It’s also a vital component in placemaking, regeneration and supporting strong resilient communities. Here in Cornwall where, as showcased in our bid for City of Culture, creativity is woven through the sense of local identity and crucial to the local economy, it deserves to have a place at the heart of the Levelling Up strategy. The White Paper gives those of us living and working in the regions a lot to be enthusiastic and hopeful about. However, in its implementation, it must embrace specific local needs. I hope there will be the recognition of the important role for universities which can be powerhouses of growth and I’m certainly looking forward to Falmouth University playing its part in this policy area.
