National Assembly helps showcase Universities’ contribution to Welsh life

11 June 2013

The National Assembly for Wales’s Presiding Officer, Rosemary Butler AM, has welcomed Welsh Universities to the Senedd to showcase the contribution the sector makes to the Welsh economy.

New research, commissioned by Higher Education Wales (HEW), reveals that the HE sector in Wales creates tens of thousands of jobs, generating some 3 per cent of the nation’s GDP.

HEW’s Welsh Universities – Driving Growth campaign is a week-long series (10–14 June) of events being held at universities and other venues across Wales to mark HE sector’s contribution.

The Assembly is supporting the campaign by hosting displays and events on its estate during the week.

“I am pleased that the National Assembly for Wales is helping to mark the central contribution that our universities make to the Welsh economy and Welsh life,” the Presiding Officer said.

“The new research reveals the fundamental role they play in creating jobs, innovating technology, and providing facilities for our communities across Wales.

“It is right that Wales’s law-making body recognises this commitment by hosting a series of events throughout the week, as part of the Assembly’s continued support for the Higher Education sector.”

The Assembly will host a series of installations from universities across Wales and also the launch of the National Centre for Universities and Business Wales (NCUB Wales).

Professor John Hughes, Vice-Chancellor of Bangor University and Chair of Higher Education Wales, said: “While it has always been apparent our universities are of considerable importance to Wales in supporting economic development through education and research, these figures show just how vital a contribution universities make to their local communities, and the wider Welsh economy, through supporting thousands of ‘knock-on’ jobs outside of campuses.

“The report demonstrates that for every £1m of Welsh higher education institutional revenue, a further £1.03m is generated to the Welsh economy.  If you addthese findings to the positive results for Wales in therecent Higher Education – Business and Community Interaction Survey, which showed Welsh universities significantly ‘punching above their weight’ in their contribution to the economy, you get a picture of a sector that is ideallyplaced to drive future economic growth in a bid to create a more prosperous Wales.”

l-r: Ursula Kelly, research author; Rosemary Butler AM, Presiding Officer; Professor John Hughes, Chair of Higher Education Wales