Bournemouth finally became a university in 1992 after being a College of Technology, an Institute of Higher Education and a Polytechnic. Its long and varied history means that the campus is constantly being upgraded and the buildings updated to ensure Bournemouth is a great place for future students and staff.

Since I’m a member of the Sciences at BU, I was delighted to learn of the £5 million being invested in STEM courses (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The funding, given by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, will go towards a new flagship academic building. The building will provide laboratory learning and teaching space, 24 teaching rooms, six rooms providing large group spaces and three lecture theatres. Currently 18% of BU students study STEM subjects, and over the next five years, they are hoping to develop this further by providing facilities such as those within the new building. Work is already steaming ahead at Talbot Campus where the building will be located and operational by September 2016. The new building will also be used to widen participation in higher education, community involvement and industry engagement by providing space to accommodate activities with local schools, colleges and the community.

There is also a new six-storey Student Centre that opens this month (March 2015) where there will be room to study, socialise and easily locate SUBU. The eco-friendly building will house SUBU offices, a student advice centre, a café, radio and media studios, bookable meeting rooms and access points for student services. Since I was an undergraduate at BU, I have seen this building develop, transforming the campus and standing as an impressive monument next to the library.

On the Lansdowne campus, another investment is taking shape in the form of the Bournemouth University International College. This is an educational collaboration between Kaplan International and Bournemouth University, helping international students achieve their ambition of becoming BU students by preparing them for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. The 16 floor building will combine teaching and study space along with a student refectory and accommodation with 392 beds in flats and studios. Once finished, the building will be the highest in Bournemouth with views of the Isle of Wight, Old Harry rocks, the Purbecks and the New Forest.

All these developments are part of an exciting new chapter in the University’s life where new and innovative buildings and facilities are emerging. It is all a part of improving BU as a whole so that you will love it as much as we do.