University of South Wales (USW) on its role in Newport

Startup Stiwdio offers space to USW graduates who are starting their own businesses and provides a range of support services, including business advice, assistance with intellectual property, and access to specialist help in a range of areas.

This is part of promises by the university to play a role in providing wider benefits to the city and community of Newport, not just its own own students.

The university has long faced criticism over its contribution to Newport, in particular following the closure of the Caerleon campus in 2016. The move led to feelings of betrayal after commitments had been made not to close campuses during the merger with the University of Glamorgan.

Now, post-lockdown, the university is keen to talk-up the importance of Newport and its role in the city.

At the launch of the new scheme, Professor Dylan Jones-Evans, assistant pro vice-chancellor for enterprise at USW, said: “Newport is a great city with enormous potential for the future and it is critical that we get more young people to consider becoming their own boss and to start innovative new firms to create jobs and support the local economy.

“The Startup Stiwdio can act as a catalyst and a conduit for increasing entrepreneurial activity in Newport and, in doing so, become an important part of the community.”

USW was formed following a 2013 merger of the former University of Wales, Newport, and the University of Glamorgan.

Following the merger, the then newly-appointed USW vice chancellor Professor Julie Lydon said that she wanted the university in Newport to work with the city council to explore how the campus could be better used by the whole community.

That remains a goal today.

“Our role is more than just the provision of degrees in a building. We have a civic role. We have a commitment to Newport and to the city,” Professor Donna Whitehead, who was appointed as USW’s deputy vice-chancellor in November 2021, told the Argus.

“The university has enormous economic impact. If we look at the university as a whole, for every £1 that we receive in income, £5.30 is generated to the wider economy.

“Our other role is with business support. We have Stiwdio. We’ve also got Exchange at Newport, where businesses can engage, via USW, Exchange to access expertise business development support, space to work, and connect with students and staff across the university.  

“More broadly than that, we work with a whole range of organisations across Newport and further afield as part of our commitment to helping to transform lives in the Newport area.

“We’ve got partnerships with Newport Live, Urban Circle, Business in the Community, and we work very closely with the council.

“A good example of this is we deliver a programme called Talking Zone which is a school counselling service to 70 schools across Newport.

“Some of the partnerships are across the whole university – such as Stiwdio, whereas the ones I’ve mentioned are specific to Newport.”

Professor Donna Whitehead, deputy vice-chancellor at USW. Picture: USW.

In September 2011, Dr Peter Noyes – vice chancellor of the University of Wales, Newport – said he hoped the merger would strengthen the university’s mission to widen access and promote social justice to drive economic regeneration.

“Over half of our students are from the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation indices one and two, which are the most socially deprived,” said Professor Whitehead.

“That’s something we are immensely proud of. If you look at our vision, what we were established to do, this very much reflects that.

“Lots of our students at the Newport City Campus are part-time and are juggling work, studying, home life.

“Some good examples of this is we have a fantastic education provision, we deliver brilliant counselling and youth and community provision at the university. We definitely deliver in a flexible way to enable access to learners.

“I had the pleasure recently of attending our students union student choice awards. A whole host of staff were nominated for a whole variety of awards, and when I read every single one of those nominations, what was really consistent was how staff treat our students and how they make them feel – being caring and supportive and enabling and being generous with time.  

“That made me feel immensely proud. And that goes to how we enable students from under-represented backgrounds to access higher education. A lot of that is by making them feel part of the university and part of the community and making what we do accessible.”

The University of South Wales building on Usk Way. (Image: Newsquest)

But does this pose a challenge when it comes to supporting Newport as a city?

There has been a perception among some that Newport is a university city without any students.

In fact, in 2019, students studying at Bristol University were being offered accommodation at Newport Student Village, a privately run accommodation on Usk Way built to house students studying in Newport.

At the time, a University of South Wales spokesperson said: “Just over 88 per cent of students who study at Newport Campus live at home and commute to USW to undertake their education.”

In 2010, The Fear Group bought the site of the former Sainsbury’s in Newport, now known as Newport Gateway, and wase granted planning permission to develop it – including building a 601-bed student accommodation in late 2015. 

However by 2018, The Fear Group put the land back up for sale, blaming the number of delays which they faced on the site over the years – including arson attacks and requiring special permissions after bats were spotted at the site – on their decision.

The Fear Group were approached for comment about the Newport Gateway site.

“It remains the case that the majority of our students at Newport are commuter students – they live at home and travel to the campus,” said Professor Whitehead. “Reflecting on our mission, we’re here to serve our regions, and the people who live in that area. If our learners need flexible provision, then that’s what we are committed to providing.

“I would say for Newport, as we grow the student numbers there, there will be a really nice mix of full-time students, local students, part-time local students and international students.

“That will really benefit the local students to learn with and from people from different countries, and vice versa, it will really benefit our international students as well.”

Looking to the future, Professor Whitehead said: “The approach at Newport will be challenge-based, so students will learn by doing, not sat in classrooms.

“For example, we have a brilliant Hydra suite that exists currently at our Glyntaff site, which is an immersive learning critical incident management suite. We will be looking to have one of those at the Newport campus, so students will be able to work on live challenges and problems and solve them in real time with fellow students and staff.

“That is the philosophy of our Newport campus – students will get a fantastic experience, but they will leave and be highly attractive in the employment space as well.

“We’re really excited about that. And we’re really excited about extending the work with our partners, building on our role not just as a university but as a university for the city, for Newport and the people of Newport.”