Students launch new £32m ARU Peterborough facility
December 3, 2024
ARU Peterborough’s new £32million building, The Lab, has been officially opened by students at the university.
During a ribbon-cutting ceremony on 28 November, watched by partners from the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority and Peterborough City Council, students Nimra Hassan, Faaizah Hussain, Kelly De Jesus, Zainab Hafeez, and Shaiza Hassan carried out the official duties on behalf of the ARU Peterborough student community.
Cutting-edge facilities driving future skills development
ARU Peterborough is home to some of the UK’s most advanced university facilities, and The Lab is a prime example. Completed in August, the new building houses state-of-the-art spaces including a microbiology lab, tissue culture lab, engineering workshops, high-quality teaching areas, and the innovative Living Lab, designed to host public engagement events and exhibits.
Designed by MCW Architects and built by Morgan Sindall Construction, The Lab has been developed with sustainability at its heart. It features landscaped gardens with site-appropriate planting and has achieved BREEAM Excellent certification, a global standard for building sustainability.
Enhanced course provision
As the third campus building to open since ARU Peterborough launched in 2022, The Lab enables the university to significantly expand its range of employment-focused courses. This includes undergraduate degrees such as Biomedical Sciences, Business & Management, Cyber Security & Forensic Computing, and Construction Management. At postgraduate level, new offerings include Public Health Promotion, Sustainable Supply Chain Management, and Healthcare Leadership & Management.
Many courses, including Civil Engineering, are available for the first time and will begin this January. This aligns with ARU Peterborough’s unique approach to offer multiple course start dates, ensuring that students can retrain or upskill without waiting until the next academic year.
Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) alignment
Nick Frank, LSIP Manager at Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce, attended the event and said:
“I was delighted to attend the opening of a fantastic new building for ARU Peterborough. The addition of this state-of-the-art facility will mean students no longer need to leave the city to attain world-class qualifications. The Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) emphasises the need for strong collaboration between education providers and businesses, and ARU Peterborough’s commitment to tailoring its courses to employer needs is a huge step forward. This facility is another step towards ensuring our workforce is future-ready, helping drive the local economy and supporting the ambitions of the business community.”
To learn more about the LSIP, click here.
A collaborative effort for Peterborough’s growth
Professor Ross Renton, Principal of ARU Peterborough, said:
“We are absolutely thrilled with our new building, The Lab. It’s a wonderful addition to the city and our outstanding campus, which has all the facilities needed to meet students’ career goals and ambitions.
“Unlike many Higher Education providers, the majority of ARU Peterborough’s undergraduate and postgraduate courses are available to start in January in addition to welcoming students in September. The opening of The Lab means we’re able to expand our provision and offer a wider range of career-relevant courses including, for the first time, Civil Engineering.
“Having multiple points of entry for our courses means that rather than waiting until September to retrain or learn new skills, people can take the initiative and put their plans into action straight away. What’s better than making a new start in the New Year!”
Councillor Dennis Jones, leader of Peterborough City Council, said:
“The Lab is a fantastic addition to the city’s university campus. It is designed not only to be used by students, but by the public, helping to grow the next generation of STEM enthusiasts right here in our own city.
“Subjects chosen by the university have been done so with the input of local employers. So, it is our aim that these enthusiasts will both learn and thrive in their future careers in Peterborough – helping us to retain these skills locally and boosting the pay packets of generations to come.”
Dr Nik Johnson, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said:
“I am delighted to see The Lab officially open and want to congratulate everyone at the Combined Authority, ARU, and Peterborough City Council, who have once again successfully worked together, to help fund and deliver this innovative build on time.
“The Lab is a state-of-the-art facility with the opportunities for high-quality learning at the heart of the design.
“The opening is another important milestone in the development of ARU Peterborough and will support our mission to inspire current and future generations in science and technology, further unlocking Peterborough’s full potential.”
A partnership for progress
ARU Peterborough is a collaboration between Anglia Ruskin University, the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, and Peterborough City Council. It represents a bold vision to transform the city into a hub of higher education, innovation, and skills development.
For more details about ARU Peterborough’s new facilities and courses, visit their website here.