VICE-CHANCELLOR’S REPORT TO CONVOCATION

Professor Chris Brink

19 June 2010

External Environment

• New Government • “The first priority is to reduce the deficit and restore

economic growth” – Queen’s Speech 25 May – Emergency Budget 22 June – Spending Review in the Autumn

• Age of Austerity for Universities – Significant cuts already in place pre-election – £200m share of immediate £6.3bn public expenditure cuts – Expected: ±6% real-term cuts p.a. cumulative for 4 years

• Browne Review on Student Fees and Funding

The University’s Financial Position

• Newcastle starts from a good position– Strong surplus in 2008/09 and

good forecast for 2009/10– Healthy cash balances– Reinvest to improve infrastructure

and student experience

• But ... the storm clouds are gathering ...– 3% real cut in HEFCE funding

next year– Autumn spending review– End of growth based business

models for universities

Our strategy

• Academic strategy – Vision 2021: A world-class civic university – Societal Challenge Themes

• Changing Age (Launch 2010) • Sustainability (Launch 2011) • (Theme 3: Launch 2012)

– Foreground the student experience & employability – Co-location with Business and Industry

• Financial strategy – Protect core academic resources and student experience– Grow non regulated income: international students, EU research

and commercial income– Non pay efficiencies through centralised procurement– Process efficiencies

5

“Science City” = Newcastle as a city of Science

Ageing

Stem-cells &regenerative medicine

Sustainability

3 Themes in 3 Places

Campus for Ageing and Health

Retail Quarter

Business & Engagement Quarter

Academic Quarter

Clinical Quarter

THE CAMPUS FOR AGEING AND VITALITY

Biomedical Research Centre Building

Newcastle Magnetic Resonance Centre

Biogerontology Building

Edwardson Building

Clinical Ageing Research Unit

2010

Future Developments:

2011 – Biomedical Research Centre Building

“from bench to bedside”

The Societal Challenge of Sustainability

Vision: Re-engineer Newcastle as a sustainable city.

Science Central: Headquarters for treating the entire city as an urban laboratory for research, development and implementation of topics relating to sustainability: • Transport • Marine • Energy • Infrastructure• (Etc.)

NIReS = Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainabilty

The Sustainability Vehicle

NIReS

EnergyUrban

Sustainability

Rural Sustainability

Social Aspects

Transport Marine

Business Public Health

The Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability (NIReS)

Science Central: 2021

Other items of note

• £200m capital programme on track – King’s Gate completed and occupied – Medical Sciences new building completed and occupied – Music Studios completed and occupied – NUBS building on track for occupation by Sept 2011

• Medical Sciences celebrate 175th anniversary • NUMed Malaysia: first cohort of students • Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Ageing and Health • Agreement with Singapore Institute of Technology • EQUIS Accreditation for Business School • Successful QAA audit • Top 10 nationally for student sport • Excellent performance in Research Council grants

King’s Gate

Baddiley-Clark Building(Medical Sciences New Building)

Music Building

Business School

Her Majesty The Queen opening the Great North Museum

Union Society Building

NUMed Malaysia Campus

UK Research Council Awards 2008-09 Ranked by Total Amount Awarded

Data: Award data for year 2008-09 collated by Research Councils

Ranking Institution Awards Amount £000 Academic FTE1 Cambridge 177 90329 40892 Imperial 162 86585 30973 University College London 179 86521 39734 Oxford 163 80738 45605 Manchester 145 70665 40476 Nottingham 117 60411 28087 Edinburgh 133 59719 29208 Newcastle 76 51916 19869 Bristol 104 45805 2305

10 Southampton 85 42853 237111 Liverpool 66 42599 194012 Sheffield 95 42247 238413 Leeds 105 39772 266414 Birmingham 83 38839 231215 Warwick 66 31724 174116 King's 57 26737 267717 Cardiff 42 26386 240618 Strathclyde 45 22864 118519 Glasgow 76 21937 216920 Aberdeen 30 21206 1272

UK Research Council Awards 2008/09: Ranked by Value of Grants per Academic Staff Member (FTE)

Data: Award data for year 2008-09 collated by Research Councils. FTE data relates to 2007-08, pending the publication of sector wide data for 2008-09

Ranking Institution Awards Amount £000

Value of Grants Received (£k)per

Academic FTE1 Imperial 162 86585 28.02 Newcastle 76 51916 26.13 Cambridge 177 90329 22.14 Liverpool 66 42599 22.05 University College London 179 86521 21.86 Nottingham 117 60411 21.57 Edinburgh 133 59719 20.58 Bristol 104 45805 19.99 Strathclyde 45 22864 19.3

10 Warwick 66 31724 18.211 Southampton 85 42853 18.112 Sheffield 95 42247 17.713 Oxford 163 80738 17.714 Manchester 145 70665 17.515 Birmingham 83 38839 16.816 Aberdeen 30 21206 16.717 Exeter 45 15293 15.718 Leeds 105 39772 14.919 Dundee 36 18447 13.720 York 52 16752 13.1

Thank you for your support