UCL School of Energy & Resources, Australia, to be established

UCL became the first UK university with a campus in Australia with the signing today of an agreement with the Government of South Australia to establish the UCL School of Energy & Resources, Australia (SERAus) in Adelaide.

Under the terms of the agreement, signed by the Hon Mike Rann, MP, Premier of South Australia, and Professor Malcolm Grant, UCL President and Provost, the UCL SERAus will start work in 2009 and become fully operational in 2010.

The Government of South Australia, a recognised leader in energy-related policy issues, and UCL, one of the world's leading universities, have worked together to design a facility that will have the potential to shape how the critical issues of energy and resources development and utilisation are tackled globally.

The UCL SERAus, which will occupy the Torrens Building in central Adelaide, will take up to 60 students on its two-year MSc in Energy and Resources. UCL will ensure that the MSc's curriculum reflects the concerns of industry and work with employers to ensure that professional training is flexible and relevant to employers' needs. It will also offer a portfolio of executive-education programmes tailored to meet the requirements of senior industry executives and engineering managers.

The UCL SERAus will be an integral part of UCL, with quality assurance, academic and monitoring processes identical to the rest of the university. The academic and business programmes will be promoted globally alongside the rest of UCL's programmes. UCL will appoint a director and core academic staff, and the teaching model will also require academics based in London to teach in Adelaide. Joint research programmes will also be developed.

The South Australian Government is putting $AUS 4 million towards the refurbishment of the Torrens Building and will support the UCL SERAus's set up and operations over the first seven years. Once this term is complete, UCL's campus in Adelaide will be self-financing.

Professor Michael Worton, UCL Vice-Provost (Academic & International), said: "UCL is committed to working to solve real-world problems and we relish the opportunity to work not only with the South Australian Government but also with many Australian and international energy companies through our presence in Adelaide. The State of South Australia not only has enormously important energy resources, but also a far-sighted vision regarding the sustainable consumption of energy.

"Transnational education is changing the way that students and professionals now study and develop their skills. Through our campus in Adelaide, and as part of University City there, UCL will give a global lead on industry-focused research and teaching in a global context."

Mr Rann said: "UCL's credentials in science, energy and resource management are second to none, complementing this state's development of its immense resources in uranium, geothermal hot rocks, copper and other minerals. As a result of our University City push, the numbers of international students studying in Adelaide have grown from a modest 6,000 in 2000 to 23,327 last year. With the attraction of UCL to Adelaide, it has now achieved even greater momentum. With climate change probably affecting Australia the most, UCL's expertise in energy, science, resource management and climate change is the perfect fit at exactly the right time on our history."

Marco Federighi, Sub-Dean of UCL Engineering Sciences, said: "Australia plays a key role in the supply of resources to developed and developing societies alike, and is close to key energy and resources markets such as China, India and Japan. The school will enable UCL to play its part in addressing this complex worldwide challenge. It is a hugely significant step for our university."

Image: The Torrens Building

To find out more about the UCL SERAus, use the link at the top of this article.