The Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) was in Cambridge today to keep abreast of technologies emerging from the University's research centres and observe some of work going on to increase applications from bright state school pupils.
John Denham, MP for Southampton Itchen, spent the morning at Cambridge's Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics (CAPE), which collaborates with industry to develop new technologies that, for example, make communication faster and increasingly secure.
He met top University researchers to hear how concepts developed in specialist research labs get rapidly transferred to industry partners to become commercially viable.
After lunch with some of the key University staff involved in access efforts, Mr Denham met pupils and teachers from a Leicestershire middle school who were spending a day at Cambridge. The pupils from Leysland High School, Leicestershire, were guests of St Catharine's College which works with five counties in Central and Eastern England.
The minister and two DIUS colleagues watched as the pupils improvised scenes from the life of a Leicester pupil going to university and balancing a hectic social life with the hard work of essay-writing.
Commenting the efforts that Cambridge is making in widening participation, John Denham said: “Universities need to seek out and nurture talent wherever it is and it is vital that they engage with students at the earliest possible stage.”
He continued: “Today's school visit to Cambridge is a great example of the University reaching out to students at a time when they are making decisions that will affect the rest of their lives.”
For most of the Leysland pupils, this was a first taste of university, and none had visited Cambridge before. “Cambridge is even nicer than I imagined, with lots of old buildings, and the people are really friendly,” said Kazia, 14, who is interested in studying English or science at university.
Leysland science teacher, Lesley Paris, said: “Visits like this get pupils thinking and planning ahead. It's quite right that a day like this should be fun as well as informative as it helps them feel that they would fit in at university.”
Hanna Weibye, School Liaison and HE Access Officer for St Catharine's and Pembroke, organises visits to Cambridge for around 800 pupils each year. The aim of the visits is to dispel myths that Cambridge is only for certain types of people and is more expensive that other universities.
“Studying at Cambridge can work out cheaper than studying at many other universities. Students pay rents in term-time only and terms are short - and they incur no travel costs while they are here. On top of that they have access to the extensive Cambridge Bursary Scheme for financial support,” she said.
In a move to bring its admissions system in line with other universities, Cambridge has scrapped its separate application form and from now on applicants will apply to Cambridge online through UCAS. The deadline for applications remains as October 15.
Source: By University Of Cambridge
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