University of Central Lancashire


The University of Central Lancashire is a public university based in the city of Preston, Lancashire, England. It has its roots in The Institution For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge founded in 1828. Subsequently, known as Harris Art College, then Preston Polytechnic, then Lancashire Polytechnic, in 1992 it was granted university status by the Privy Council. The university is the 19th largest in the UK in terms of student numbers.

History

The Institution for the Diffusion of Knowledge was founded in 1828 by Joseph Livesey's Temperance Society. The society was born from a pledge made by seven Preston working men to never again consume alcohol.
The institute was housed in a classical-revivalist building on Cannon Street, before eventually expanding under the endowment of a local lawyer, Edmund Robert Harris, who died in 1877. The expansion brought with it several new buildings and houses in the nearby Regent Street were purchased and demolished as a consequence. The institute became a regional centre for the arts and sciences.
As part of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 1897, the institutes trustees paid the Victorian/Edwardian architect Henry Cheers to design the "Victoria Jubilee Technical School", to be built on Corporation Street. Its goal was to provide local youths with a technical education in all areas. The building was progressive for the period, being powered entirely by electricity.
The institute existed in this state until 1932 when it changed its name to become the Harris Art College. It underwent further expansion and in 1952 and became the Harris College. In 1973 this became Preston Polytechnic then the Lancashire Polytechnic in 1984. In 1992, full university status was awarded and the University of Central Lancashire came into existence. The first chancellor of the university was Sir Francis Kennedy and he was succeeded in 2001 by Sir Richard Evans. In 2016, Ranvir Singh became the new Chancellor of the University.
The journalism division, now part of the School of Journalism and Media, is one of the oldest in the country, opening as part of the Harris College in 1962. In 1991, it became one of the first to teach journalism undergraduate degrees, with a strong emphasis on practical work.
In 2013 the School of Dentistry and the School of Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education merged to create the School of Medicine and Dentistry.
The university sponsored the now defunct Wigan UTC, a university technical college which opened in September 2013.

Campus

The university is on an urban campus in Preston and others in Burnley, Westlakes in West Cumbria for nuclear and energy related research programmes and a €53 million campus in Cyprus opened in October 2012.
The university has students and researchers from over 100 countries and partnerships with 125 international institutions. It has a base in China’s Shenzhen Virtual University Park, conducting collaborative research with some of China’s leading universities into nanotechnology with applications in drug delivery, water purification and fire toxicity.
Within the School of Language and Global Studies, staff speak 30 languages and represent 22 nationalities.
UCLan has 98 professors, over 600 research or knowledge transfer-active members of staff, and 763 research students. There are 246 Honorary Fellows of the university.

Cyprus

UCLan Cyprus is a branch campus of the University of Central Lancashire situated in Pyla, Larnaka. The campus opened in 2012 and is licensed and registered as a university in Cyprus. It is the only private British university in Cyprus. It accepts international students.
UCLan Cyprus is the first University in Cyprus that has a Moot Court for used by the School of Law students.
UCLan Cyprus offers bachelor's degrees in business administration, advertising and marketing communications, accounting and finance, hospitality and tourism management, computing, mathematics, English language studies, law, web design and development, sport and exercise science and psychology.
It offers master's degrees in business administration, business management, marketing management, education leadership, teaching English to speakers of other languages with applied linguistics, financial and commercial law, computing, cybersecurity, data analytics, sport & exercise science and forensic psychology.

Master Plan 2020

The University is currently undergoing a £200 million expansion programme, with several new buildings under construction at the Preston main campus. These building are:
Livesey House, is named after temperance activist Joseph Livesey.
The university opened the new JB Firth building in September 2011, at a cost of £12.5m. It houses the School of Forensic and Applied Sciences, which includes subjects such as chemistry and forensic science. The new building has a 4,000 m2 teaching area, which includes six laboratories: two for chemistry undergraduate teaching, one for chemistry research, one analytical laboratory and two fire laboratories. The building was named after James Brierly Firth, a founder of forensic science in Britain.
The Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre opened, replacing the Foster Sports Centre, in 2011. It is a purpose built indoor facility on the main campus and offers Students' Union sports clubs, instructor-led classes and individual training. Sports membership is free for most students and discounted for staff.
Other key facilities include a £15m Media Factory with facilities for digital media and performing arts students, and a 'business incubator'. The £5.3 million Allen Building incorporates facilities for students in the School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Academic profile

The university has the following schools:
UCLan enrolls students from over 100 countries and has partnerships with 125 international institutions located across the world.
Each year over 2,000 international students study at the University’s Preston Campus.
UCLan was the first modern university in the UK to be included in the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings.
In 2013 QS awarded UCLan the full five stars for its approach to ‘Internationalisation’ with a proven track record for specialising in all aspects of international educational provision.
UCLan has over 3,000 students enrolled offshore, across a diverse range of countries including China, Greece, India, Mauritius, Singapore and the USA.
In 2012 the University opened UCLan Cyprus, a €53 million branch campus in Larnaka, Cyprus. It is the only private British university in Cyprus.
In 2013, following receipt of Chinese Ministry of Education approval and together with its partner Hebei University, the UCLan established the ‘Hebei/UCLan School of Media, Communication and Creative Industries’.
Initially the joint School will have non-independent status, meaning that although it will be a separate entity from HBU it will be wholly owned by it. The School will have 800 students, recruiting 200 per year for the four-year duration of the programmes. The intention is to grow to 1,600 students and then to focus on a broader range of subjects, targeting science in the second wave. When successfully operating at the expanded level, the School will apply for independent campus status.

Rankings

UCLan is in the top 3.7% of universities worldwide according to The Centre for World University Rankings 2016.
UCLan is in the top 800 universities globally according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

Film production

UCLAN is the only university in the UK to run a feature film module. Results of this course include The Collaborators, Audax, The Wedding, Wraith and Needle In The Hay.

Research

Research activity at UCLan includes working with NASA on solar dynamics, with the Department of Health on stroke research, with industry on digital media projects and collaboration with the Football Association, Professional Golfers Association and International Olympic Committee on sport and exercise science research.
The UK Government recognised that all 16 of UCLan’s assessed subject areas contain world-leading research.

Undergraduate research

UCLan has established one of the UK’s largest paid undergraduate research internship schemes.
Since the scheme launched in 2008, nearly 450 interns have worked directly alongside UCLan researchers on projects as diverse as digital publishing, wind power analysis, facial composite development and smart bandage exploration. Interns have presented work at international conferences and won awards for their research.
The initiative enhances a variety of academic and employability skills, leading to some fantastic outputs including presentations at the Houses of Parliament and published journal articles.

Autonomous systems research

In 2012, UCLAN announced a partnership with the BAE Systems, and four other north-western universities in order to work on the Gamma Programme which aims to develop "autonomous systems". According to the University of Liverpool when referring to the programme, "autonomous systems are technology based solutions that replace humans in tasks that are mundane, dangerous and dirty, or detailed and precise, across sectors, including aerospace, nuclear, automotive and petrochemicals".

Student life

Students' Union

The nightclub and live music venue at the Students' Union, '53 Degrees', has two floors with a bar on each and occasionally hosts well known musical performers. Across two rooms, total capacities are 1,100 & 350 for club nights and 1,400 and 350 for all live gigs. The adjoining bar, 'Source', is open seven days a week during term times. '53 Degrees' is no longer owned by the Students' Union however Freshers' Week events are still run in the venue.

Sports

There are over 35 sports clubs run by the students’ union. Many have block bookings at the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre in term-time for training and matches. The sports clubs participate in British Universities and Colleges Sport competitions and have home and away fixtures.
The university outdoor sport facilities can be found at UCLan Sports Arena which is located 2 miles away and was opened in 2000 by The Princess Royal. The £12 million arena provides facilities for Rugby league, Rugby Union, Football Hockey Netball and Tennis and Cycling, as well as an eight lane athletics area, equipped for school, club and county competitions.
The university's Motor Sports Engineering and Operations students run a motor racing team, UCLAN Racing.

Media

The Pulse is the student newspaper. It is six times a year, and began in 1985 as the Ribble Echo and then was named Pluto until June 2016. It is now printed in tabloid format with colour photography. The newspaper published its first edition on 12 September 2016.
Pulse Radio is the student radio station which is located on the ground floor of the Students' Union building. It was founded in 1999 as Frequency Radio and is currently broadcasting during term time. The new radio station started broadcasting on 12 September 2016.
Pulse Radio is the student television station which is located on the ground floor of the Students' Union building. The station covers news, entertainment, and documentaries.

Notable people

Alumni