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Stafford's old university campus to house boarding school and university under new plans
By Staffordshire Newsletter | Posted: November 30, 2016
PLANS... The former Staffordshire University campus in Stafford will house boarding school and university.
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STAFFORD'S old university campus will be transformed into an international education centre housing a university, boarding school and entrepreneurship hub, the Newsletter can reveal.
The New Beacon Group has now taken ownership of the old Staffordshire University site in Beaconside and says it wants to preserve the legacy of the campus, while creating a centre for both British and overseas students.
Staffordshire University is also set to develop a partnership with the organisation and plans include incorporating the film production and digital media resources, previously offered at the campus.
The Group will establish an international boarding school, the Stafford International College, which will offer A-level courses and the International Baccalaureate. It will gradually expand to offer GCSEs and ultimately become a full international college for students aged 11-19.
A specialised university will provide undergraduate and postgraduate degrees with emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation.
Alongside it will be an entrepreneurship hub aimed at helping start-ups and inviting entrepreneurs from China and the UK to give guest lectures, seminars and build real-life business environments for students to get hands-on experience of building a company.
There will also be a Digital Media Lab integrating film production technology, drama studio, media centre, music technology and computer games development for students working on digital media projects or to use digital media in the marketing process.
It is not yet known when the college will open or how many students it will house.
Dr Kai Liu, chief executive of the New Beacon Group, said: "We are delighted to begin this new chapter in the story of the Beaconside Campus. We take strength from the developments and breakthroughs which took place here and we want to make sure that this continues. The Beaconside Campus computer science pioneers, who sought to make the world a global village by facilitating such a high level of interconnectivity, lie at the heart of our efforts to bring students from all over the world together in one dynamic site."
Liz Barnes, vice-chancellor of Staffordshire University, said: "When we made the decision to sell our Beaconside campus, our legacy was important to us. It was where we pioneered computing degree courses over 50 years ago, and where we have become renowned for our entertainment and technology courses, notably our film and music technology and computer gaming and programming courses.
"We don't want to lose the educational impact Beaconside has had on the region, which is why we welcome the New Beacon Group's plans for an International College which we believe will be a great addition to the county town and feeds into our own Higher Education offer. Importantly, the university still has a major role to play in Stafford in our planned new partnership with the New Beacon Group, through our Centre of Excellence in Healthcare Education and our Business Village."
Councillor Patrick Farrington, leader of Stafford Borough Council, said the decision to develop a global education facility in Stafford demonstrated Stafford was seen as a great place to invest in.
"This is a very exciting project and we look forward to working closely with the New Beacon Group to maximise the opportunities this could bring to our residents and businesses."
By Staffordshire Newsletter | Posted: November 30, 2016
PLANS... The former Staffordshire University campus in Stafford will house boarding school and university.
Comments (0)
STAFFORD'S old university campus will be transformed into an international education centre housing a university, boarding school and entrepreneurship hub, the Newsletter can reveal.
The New Beacon Group has now taken ownership of the old Staffordshire University site in Beaconside and says it wants to preserve the legacy of the campus, while creating a centre for both British and overseas students.
Staffordshire University is also set to develop a partnership with the organisation and plans include incorporating the film production and digital media resources, previously offered at the campus.
The Group will establish an international boarding school, the Stafford International College, which will offer A-level courses and the International Baccalaureate. It will gradually expand to offer GCSEs and ultimately become a full international college for students aged 11-19.
A specialised university will provide undergraduate and postgraduate degrees with emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation.
Alongside it will be an entrepreneurship hub aimed at helping start-ups and inviting entrepreneurs from China and the UK to give guest lectures, seminars and build real-life business environments for students to get hands-on experience of building a company.
There will also be a Digital Media Lab integrating film production technology, drama studio, media centre, music technology and computer games development for students working on digital media projects or to use digital media in the marketing process.
It is not yet known when the college will open or how many students it will house.
Dr Kai Liu, chief executive of the New Beacon Group, said: "We are delighted to begin this new chapter in the story of the Beaconside Campus. We take strength from the developments and breakthroughs which took place here and we want to make sure that this continues. The Beaconside Campus computer science pioneers, who sought to make the world a global village by facilitating such a high level of interconnectivity, lie at the heart of our efforts to bring students from all over the world together in one dynamic site."
Liz Barnes, vice-chancellor of Staffordshire University, said: "When we made the decision to sell our Beaconside campus, our legacy was important to us. It was where we pioneered computing degree courses over 50 years ago, and where we have become renowned for our entertainment and technology courses, notably our film and music technology and computer gaming and programming courses.
"We don't want to lose the educational impact Beaconside has had on the region, which is why we welcome the New Beacon Group's plans for an International College which we believe will be a great addition to the county town and feeds into our own Higher Education offer. Importantly, the university still has a major role to play in Stafford in our planned new partnership with the New Beacon Group, through our Centre of Excellence in Healthcare Education and our Business Village."
Councillor Patrick Farrington, leader of Stafford Borough Council, said the decision to develop a global education facility in Stafford demonstrated Stafford was seen as a great place to invest in.
"This is a very exciting project and we look forward to working closely with the New Beacon Group to maximise the opportunities this could bring to our residents and businesses."