University of Reading Q&A – Estates Development Programme & Playing Their Role in Economic Growth

The University of Reading play a crucial role in the economic development across the Thames Valley. And they have some ambitious plans over the coming years to aid student retention and create high value jobs across the region. We’ve been speaking to Prof Robert Van de Noort – Vice Chancellor at the University – following his involvement in the Thames Valley Development Conference…

Q. You are planning a new development programme leading up until your centenary – in 2026 – what are the highlights for the next five years, and are there any projects you are looking to procure soon?

Most of the major projects on campus (Library; Health and Life Sciences Building) have now been completed but there will be room for one or more major projects leading up to our centenary, but these are yet to be developed in any details, and will be revealed in good time. Off campus, we will seek to develop our Northcourt Avenue campus, and grow our Thames Valley Science Park.

Q. You’ve submitted an application for a new purpose-built TV and film studios, Shinfield Studios at the Thames Valley Science Park, how did this project come about and how will it help cement the “Cine Valley” concept?

The pandemic has significantly increased the already strong demand for film and TV content and there was a clear shortage of a studio complex that could readily tap into the skills found amongst university students and staff –from creative writers to computer scientists and everything in between. We recognized this as an exciting opportunity in many different aspects, and expect that the Cine Valley will in a few years be as well-known as Pinewood Studios.

Q. The University of Reading has recently divested from fossil fuels and has made significant energy reductions in recent years, how are you continuing your commitment to sustainability and ecology through your estates programme?

We will commit to be Net Zero Carbon by 2030 and manage our land for the benefit of biodiversity gain. We recognise that this is a tall order but as a University that has been leading the research in climate change, it is imperative that we now ‘walk the walk’ and also provide an example for others. In the next year, we will deliver:

• Improved heating zoning and controls in two flagship buildings (URS and Greenlands Main House)
• A programme of laboratory and farm refrigeration/freezer upgrades with modern, energy efficient replacements
• A major LED lighting rollout throughout London Rd and Greenland campuses, and to multiple Whiteknights buildings
• A major expansion of solar panels on Whiteknights campus; more than trebling our current generation capacity
• Replacement of inefficient drying cabinets throughout our science labs
• Replacement of inefficient ventilation systems
• Replacement and re-sizing of numerous inefficient air conditioning units
• Improved sensors and controls to multiple heating and ventilation systems
• Preparatory works for future heat decarbonisation, including improved metering, and an electrical capacity upgrade for Greenlands

Q. How did the emergence of the Coronavirus pandemic affect the university’s thinking when it came to estates projects?

We will adopt many of the practices we had to develop at speed during the pandemic and, specifically, embed flexible working and a flexible educational delivery into our future. This will also help us to reduce our Carbon footprint. That will mean that we need less of our estate, and we are looking for partners that can bring synergetic opportunities to the University to use freed-up space. It also means that, as we continue to grow our student numbers, we will better utilize our teaching spaces.

Q. What role does the University of Reading play in facilitating the growth and development of the Thames Valley?

We will seek to play a bigger role in high-skill job creation in the Thames Valley – through development on TVSP which has the potential to deliver 20,000 new jobs in the next decade, and by working closely with Reading Borough Council and Wokingham Borough Council in providing space for new housing and innovative workplaces.

Q. The ongoing skills shortage within the construction and engineering sectors is often discussed and universities have a key role to play in resolving, what is the University of Reading doing to support the sector?

We are academically firmly embedded in the construction professions – often skills shortage discussions are about entry into the trades and attractiveness to school leavers rather than the graduate / professions market. Some examples:

• We maintain very strong connectivity with the sector, through our own (often research based) relationships, a large network of placement organisations, employers and alumni. We continually balance the requirements of professional accreditation (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Chartered Institute of Building), the needs of organisations and the skills development of students for the future (which are quite often not perfectly aligned…)
• We have a particularly unique programme where leadership and organisational / business skills (contract law, procurement, management, HR) sit alongside more technical aspects. We work with students to be prepared for year five of their careers, not year one and to have a broad range of leadership skills.
• Students can decide after two years whether to specialise around construction management, building surveying or quantity surveying. That way they can both follow their own developing interests and respond to the jobs market / professional skills gaps. The last few years we have graduated a lot more quantity surveyors than BS or CM, for instance. No-one else does this.
• We have sector leading gender diversity on the programmes. Attracting greater diversity is key to any skills shortage and key to the success and distinctiveness of our programmes. We use our alumni and current students as role models to attract female and BAME students into the programmes and sector and we always like to showcase our diversity.
• We do engage with local schools, including giving talks on careers in construction, judging student competitions and two colleagues ran a small research project about 18 months ago looking at school pupil’s perceptions of gender stereotypes in the sector.