Kent is one of only 27 English universities to have received a £5 million award from the government to support a national increase in high-quality STEM students.
Five million pounds is the highest award made to any of the 73 universities and colleges who received funding by the Higher Education Council for England (HEFCE) in this round.
Kent’s award for 2015-16 will provide a significant contribution to the construction and refurbishment of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) teaching facilities as part of a planned £22 million-plus investment in sciences buildings over the next two years. This strategy aims to address immediate space constraints arising from significant recent expansion and projected future expansion in the teaching of STEM subjects.
Projects currently underway include a new building to accommodate the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science.
Kent’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow welcomed the news. She said: ‘I am delighted that, through this award, the excellence of our academic offering has once again been recognised. This funding will help ensure that our facilities remain competitive and allow our academic teaching activities to flourish. The University of Kent remains an attractive destination for highly qualified and ambitious STEM students.’
Kent recently announced that a £75 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) will support its £211 million five-year estates capital investment plan. The EIB loan will advance the existing Templeman Library development at the University’s Canterbury campus and support improvements to both academic and teaching spaces at its Medway campus. In addition, the funds will be used to provide additional space for academic schools that have recently seen significant growth.
Further information on HEFCE’s ‘STEM teaching capital funding 2015-16’ is available here.