The Vice-Chancellor`s welcome

BY PROFESSOR WENDY PURCELL
VICE-CHANCELLOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE   

A very warm welcome to Plymouth University. With a mission to be ' the enterprise university', Plymouth is a dynamic and innovative place to work and study, transforming lives through education, world-class research and innovation on a global stage.

We are committed to delivering an outstanding student experience and enjoy a reputation for excellence in teaching and learning alongside world-class research. Together with a research-informed curriculum, we embed employability skills throughout a student's journey with us.

Students also benefit from funded internships, award-winning volunteering schemes, international exchange programmes, dedicated career development advice and extensive cultural, sports and leisure programmes - all of which see our students emerge as highly employable graduates with an impressive skills base. Some 12,000 of our students undertake work experience each year and our awards are informed by leading practitioners in the field of business and the professions. 

"The RAE 2008 saw Plymouth named as a top 50 research University and the 'most improved' with 80% of its research judged as being of international repute, meaning both our undergraduate and postgraduate students can be proud to be taught by, and work alongside world-class experts."

The University houses Europe's largest Marine Institute, with a dedicated world-class marine building being erected this year which will include state-of-the-art research facilities and new wave tank testing equipment that will be unique to the UK. We are also one of the founding partners in the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry and are the largest provider of health education in the South West.

The RAE 2008  saw Plymouth named as a top 50 research University and the 'most improved' with 80% of its research judged as being of international repute, meaning both our undergraduate and postgraduate students can be proud to be taught by, and work alongside world-class experts.

Plymouth is a university built on a rich heritage dating back to 1862 and while it has grown in terms of size, reputation and impact, we remain true to our values of social inclusion with a strong sense of place and civic responsibility. We have embraced our leadership role in the city, region and beyond and are an engine of transformational change through education and innovation. We are committed to working through partnership in delivering on our mission.

The University is an award-winning leader in knowledge transfer and through its Enterprise Solutions programme has helped many hundreds of businesses and over a thousand individuals over the last year alone. We also have two incubation centres on campus, Formation Zone (Arts) and Formation 2.0 (STEM) and are co-partners in the Tamar Science Park which houses spinout companies from the University. The University delivers higher education through its network of 18 partner Partner Colleges across the South West and is a founding partner of the Combined Universities in Cornwall .

Whether you are a prospective student, employee, business or member of the community, I hope you will appreciate the contribution Plymouth University makes to people and place. You will find a wealth of information on our website, but if you need help finding what you are looking for, please just let us know - we would be pleased to hear from you.  

Email: contact@plymouth.ac.uk  

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 THE VICE-CHANCELLOR'S INAUGURATION

On Thursday 27 November 2008, Plymouth University celebrated the inauguration of its Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor Wendy Purcell.  As part of the ceremony, Professor Purcell gave an address on 'The role of the university in the city, region and beyond'.

• Summary of the Vice-Chancellor's Inauguration speech (pdf)
• Watch the Vice-Chancellor's Inauguration

 

 THE VICE-CHANCELLOR'S PUBLIC ADDRESS 
   

• Find out more about the Vice-Chancellor's Public Address