OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY | BUSINESS PROFILE
BUILDING BETTER CONNECTIONS
OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY
www.brookes.ac.uk
Asked to sum up the spirit of her university, Dr Anne Gwinnett, Director of Corporate Affairs at Oxford Brookes University, doesn’t hesitate: “We’re about being connected.” The institution has a rich history. Founded in
1865 – and celebrating its 150th anniversary this year – it started life as the Oxford School of Art. Showing early signs of its ability to forge strategic links, it developed from borrowed rooms in the Taylor Institution Library in the heart of Oxford to a technology school, a college and a polytechnic before attaining university status in 1992. Its educational focus has remained true over the century and a half of its existence: for students to learn by doing and through connectedness with businesses and other like-minded institutions.
A MODERN ENVIRONMENT This concept of connectedness was pioneered by the university’s former leader and namesake, John Henry Brookes, so it’s fitting that a new facility that enables today’s 17,000-plus students to connect with one another is named after him. The John Henry Brookes Building opened in February 2014 and, with its social learning space, has helped to radically change the student experience. “The architects talked about the building offering fluid boundaries between social and
formal spaces, and it really does achieve that,” says Dr Gwinnett. “It’s a very modern environment with an incredibly open feel, in which students can work in groups or independently. It encourages them to stay on campus and learn. Even at 9 pm, it’s full of students working and collaborating. The building has quickly become the heart of the university.” A library, a suspended lecture theatre that
appears to hang in mid-air, the students’ union, eateries and student support services complete the impressive space. The building has won a number of plaudits, including a 2014 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) National Award. It was also recognised in the 2014 RIBA Stirling Prize midlist as one of 15 buildings that made the greatest contribution to the evolution of architecture in the previous year.
INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS Meanwhile, industry collaboration links students with the outside world. The university’s Motorsport Engineering course, for example, works closely with Formula 1 racing, and provides placements with Lotus F1, Mercedes and McLaren. Its Sustainable Vehicle Engineering Centre, on the other hand, is a leader in electric vehicle research. In addition, Oxford Brookes has cultivated many Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs)
– projects between the university and companies that enable the exchange of knowledge, technology and skills. Five of these KTPs were shortlisted for national awards in 2014, and a collaboration with YASA Motors won the Engineering Excellence Award in Innovate UK’s Best of the Best Awards 2014. Eighty per cent of the university’s projects have been graded as “outstanding” or “very good” in comparison to the national average of 55 per cent. “KTPs are all about working collaboratively with businesses, and the results have been astounding,” says Dr Gwinnett. The university’s Social Entrepreneur Awards,
which are open to staff, students and recent graduates alike, further encourage an enterprising approach to learning. One such beneficiary was the Broken Spoke scheme, which received £11,900 to strengthen the culture of cycling in Oxford by teaching bicycle maintenance and proficiency. Similarly, The Knowledge Project was awarded £9,000 to deliver affordable and accessible evening classes in Oxford. “Social enterprise is an area we’ve become known for as an institution,” says Dr Gwinnett. Encouraging innovation and enterprise
is a must for any university, but Oxford Brookes excels at forging strong business links and providing first-hand industry experience. As its latest building exemplifies, the university’s spirit of connectedness is truly tangible.
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