Vice Chancellor tells global audience how business, universities and governments must work together

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Universities need to work with government and business to create economic growth and boost regeneration, Swansea University Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard B. Davies has told a global audience.

VC speaking in Thailand Feb 2014Professor Davies gave a keynote speech and led a plenary session at a British Council event in Thailand bringing education policy-makers from across the globe together to discuss changes and challenges in the sector.

He said that universities can help smaller companies to raise their aspirations by providing support in terms of research and development. Larger companies and business start-ups also need access to advanced expertise and universities can help by providing this.

Professor Davies told the audience:

“The challenge for government is to ensure universities have sufficient funding to create globally competitive research infrastructure, particularly in science and engineering.

 As a University, Swansea has been very successful in obtaining funding from both the public and private sectors to facilitate our ambitious growth plans.

Our new science and innovation Bay Campus has been recognised as one of Europe’s leading knowledge economy projects. The European Investment Bank has invested £60m in the development, and we have also attracted over £90m in Welsh and UK Government funding and from European structural funds, as well as significant contribution from industry, including the gift of a 40 hectare site.

This integrated approach to funding and working together means we are able to continue to grow and to meet the needs of industry in providing cutting edge world-class research.”