University of East London Homepage

Funding is the hot topic at UEL's Research and Knowledge Exchange Conference

Tuesday 29 June 2010

Knowledge Exchange Conference

Perhaps not surprisingly, given the current economic and political climate, funding was the hot topic at the University of East London’s Research and Knowledge Exchange Conference on Monday.

The event, which brought together key staff from Knowledge Dock (UEL's enterprise development service) and the Research Support Unit in the Graduate School, kicked off with a round-table discussion involving UEL’s Research Institute Directors, intended to give staff and students the opportunity to find out more about research and business-partnership opportunities at the University.

The session was followed by speeches from a number of high-profile UEL staff including John Lock, Director of UEL’s 2012 office, and Inga Benner, the University’s dedicated contact at the United Kingdom Research Office (UKRO) in Brussels.

However, it was the speech in the afternoon by David Sweeney, Director of Research, Innovation and Skills at the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) that sparked the liveliest Q&A session.

“Let’s keep making the case for Higher Education funding,” he implored, describing ‘academic freedom’ as ‘non-negotiable’. He named ‘student experience’ as the second biggest issue after funding faced by universities like UEL and praised the University for the success it had achieved on the International Student Barometer - an independent feedback processfor education providers which tracks the perceptions, expectations and experiences of students studying outside their home country.

Attendees were given a final opportunity to ask questions of the Vice Chancellor, Patrick McGhee, followed by an evening BBQ and networking opportunity with guests, including potential funding partners along with special guest, networking guru and business consultant, Heather White.

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

Information for screenreader users:

For a general description of these pages and an explanation of how they should work with screenreading equipment please follow this link: Link to general description

For further information on this web site’s accessibility features please follow this link: Link to accessibility information