The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Minister launches city’s university project online
Peterborough’s new university project was officially launched by Minister of State for Universities Michelle Donelan MP.
The minister spoke at a special ‘virtual launch’ meeting on Tuesday and said: “I must say realising your twenty-year long ambition for Peterborough to have a University is absolutely fantastic and I’m delighted to be able to share in this momentous achievement.
“I know that it has only been possible because of the work done by Mayor James Palmer and also Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and its partners such as Peterborough City Council and of course Anglian Ruskin University and other key stake holders – so well done and thank you to everybody who has been involved.
“I am delighted that we will all soon be welcoming ARU Peterborough into the fold – ARU Peterborough’s ambition is to attract a diverse student population and to improve social mobility as well as providing students with the employment and skills that they need which are absolutely fundamental.
“It will not only be a benefit to Peterborough but to the country as a whole, and I applaud the ambitions to have 12,500 students by 2030, and the lives that that will really transform. It is also important to note that the economy is also going to benefit in the not too distant future from this £30m investment with the 2020/21 construction program employing 550 people which is not insignificant. Additionally, I’m told that over 330 people will need to staff the university buildings, rising to 700 by 2025/26 with an additional 1,300 indirect jobs created by 2026, and that will rise to 31,500 by 2034/35. So, I really do look forward to ARU Peterborough opening in September 2022, and joining one of the best higher education systems in the world and I believe that this will be both transformational to the city and the region.”
Peterborough MP Paul Bristow said: “Peterborough is where companies are making their home and engineering and manufacturing companies like Perkins, Peter Brotherhood and more recently Photocentric, but this university has the potential to be that missing piece in the jigsaw.
“I’m incredibly excited about this opportunity – we need to get this right.”