University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus

University of Exeter, Penryn Campus is a campus of the University of Exeter at Tremough, in Penryn, Cornwall. Since 2004 it has housed all the University's operations in Cornwall, previously scattered across a number of different sites. It is set in 100 acres (400,000 m²) of countryside, but close to the towns of Penryn and Falmouth, and the campus has a population of around 4,000 students. All the Cornwall departments are constitutionally parts of Schools also represented at the University's Exeter campuses, but for historical reasons they vary in the extent to which they have a distinct Cornish identity.

The current name came into force in the summer of 2013; before that it was known as the Cornwall Campus and, prior to that, the establishment was known as the University of Exeter in Cornwall. The Penryn Campus constitutes one of the "hub" sites of the Combined Universities in Cornwall project, and is shared with Falmouth University; many facilities are used in common by the two institutions. The campus is home to the Camborne School of Mines, which has been established in Cornwall for over a century but is now part of the University of Exeter.

Undergraduates at the Penryn Campus can study Biosciences, English, Environmental Science, Flexible Combined Honours, Geography, Geology, History, Mathematics, Mining Engineering, Natural Sciences, Politics and International Relations, Renewable Energy and Business. A variety of postgraduate degrees are also available.

The University's buildings on the campus were constructed with substantial financial support from European Union Objective 1 funds, matched by UK government funds provided through the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA). Since 2006, further development of the campus has been made possible by funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Convergence Programme, SWRDA and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). These last three funding bodies have enabled the development and building of the University's Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI).

The Penryn Campus is also home to two other major new buildings: The Academy for Innovation and Research is a Falmouth University project which focuses on the two research themes of sustainable design and digital economies; and Cornwall Council built the £13m Tremough Innovation Centre (TIC) on land adjacent to the campus, to help existing and start-up companies grow and thrive.

Departments at the Penryn Campus

Biosciences

The College of Life and Environmental Sciences, which incorporates Biosciences, is represented by the Centre for Ecology and Conservation (CEC) in Cornwall. This rapidly growing group at the Penryn Campus has a research focus with specialisation in conservation biology, evolutionary biology and Behavioural Ecology (whereas work on the Exeter campus concentrates more on reductionist approaches to biology). In addition to fundamental research in these areas, the CEC offers undergraduate degrees in Conservation Biology and Ecology, Evolution, and Zoology. The Centre also offers postgraduate research degrees, including PhD and specialist MSc degrees in Conservation Biology, and Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology.

Camborne School of Mines (CSM)

Main article: Camborne School of Mines

The Camborne School of Mines, commonly abbreviated to CSM, is a specialist department forming part of the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences of the University of Exeter. Its research and teaching is related to the understanding and management of the Earth's natural processes, resources and the environment. Founded in 1888, its portfolio of undergraduate, postgraduate and research degree programmes provide an excellent basis for careers, in the UK or overseas, within the Earth resources, civil engineering, environmental and energy sectors. In June 2004 it was the first university in the world to acquire a QEMSCAN. Undergraduate programmes taught are BSc Applied Geology, BSc Engineering Geology and Geotechnics, BEng Mining Engineering, BSc Renewable Energy and BSc Geology.

Institute of Cornish Studies

Main article: Institute of Cornish Studies

The Institute of Cornish Studies, commonly abbreviated to ICS, is part of the University's College of Humanities. It exists to support and foster academic research on Cornwall and to carry out research projects on Cornwall and its past. The ICS was formed in 1970 as a unique collaborative venture between Cornwall County Council and the University of Exeter. At that time its first Director, Professor Charles Thomas, defined its field as 'the study of all aspects of man and his handiwork in the regional setting (Cornwall and Scilly), past, present and future. The development of society, industry and the landscape in our fast changing world is as much of concern ... as the history of those vast topics in the recent and remote past.' Before the establishment of the Cornwall campus, ICS was located in premises in Truro.

English literature

The University's College of Humanities offers English degrees from the Penryn Campus. Before the establishment of the Penryn Campus, the University of Exeter delivered the BA (Hons) in English at Truro College from 1998. When the Penryn Campus opened in 2004, these operations were transferred from Truro College. The Department of English also began to deliver combined honours undergraduate degrees with History and Geography, as well as postgraduate opportunities. These include the PhD in English and the MA in Nature, Writing and Place. Currently, English on the Penryn Campus is the only Department of English in the UK to offer a core undergraduate module on literature and the environment and also has the only module in the UK based purely on Tolkien, and has scored especially well in National Student Surveys.

Environmental Science

The University offers a BSc in Environmental Science. Students on the programme have the opportunity to travel to environmental research sites, and can benefit from the interdisciplinary research taking place in the Penryn Campus's Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI).

Geography

In addition to CSM, SoGAER offers BSc and BA Geography degrees from the Penryn Campus, and more focused Degrees:

BSc Geography With Earth Systems Science, BSc Geography With Environmmental Management, BSc Geography With Environment and society,

There is specialist emphasis on Geographical Information Systems and Environmental Remote Sensing

History and Politics

The University's College of Humanities offers a range of degrees in History, while the College of International and Social Sciences offers degrees in Politics.

The Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI)

The Environment and Sustainability Institute, commonly abbreviated to ESI, is a £30 million interdisciplinary research centre whose remit is to find solutions to problems of environmental change. It has three research themes: clean technologies, natural environment, and social science and sustainability. It was officially opened in April 2013, and currently houses over 140 researchers, professors, lecturers and PhD students. Professor Kevin J Gaston was appointed inaugural Director in November 2010 and took up his post in May 2011.

See also

• University of Exeter
• Camborne School of Mines
• Institute of Cornish Studies

External links

• University of Exeter, Cornwall campuses
• University of Exeter, Environment and Sustainability Institute
• Institute of Cornish Studies, Penryn Campus
• Voyager: Search the University's library catalogue online