University of Suffolk celebrates 10 years of independence

Why it matters: The 10th anniversary marks a decade in which the university has overseen tens of thousands of degrees, supported key regional industries with workforce skills, and become an anchor institution for Ipswich and Suffolk.

The details: The university was founded in 2007 as University Campus Suffolk, initially awarding degrees through the University of East Anglia and the University of Essex. It evolved from what had previously been Suffolk College at the same location.

In August 2016, it was renamed the University of Suffolk to mark its new status as an independent university, and that autumn it awarded its first degrees under its own name.

What they're saying: Professor Jenny Higham, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Suffolk, said: "Marking 10 years as an independent university and recognising the impact we have had on our region is an incredibly proud moment for all of us here. We are excited to be hosting a range of engaging events across the county over the course of the next year to celebrate."

She added: "As a civic university, we have made a meaningful pledge to be a force for good in our communities, such as developing our new MPharm Pharmacy degree to train future pharmacists in our region and giving our MA Creative and Critical Writing students a chance to be published for the first time with our brilliant anthology of Suffolk-inspired books."

By the numbers: An economic impact study published in spring 2024 found the university supports more than 13,000 jobs and helps support more than £860m in economic activity a year.

David James, head of Business and Law at the University of Suffolk, has been at the institution since its days as Suffolk College in the mid-1990s, witnessing its journey from college to University Campus Suffolk to a fully independent university. He said: "We work hard to embed good relationships with employers in our region into our courses, creating opportunities for students to access work placements, internships and student impact projects. We also invite professionals to guest lectures and to join our events programme, such as the Annual Law Lecture and Spotlight Suffolk panel discussion series. In addition, we have a growing portfolio of apprenticeships geared towards the skills needs of employers in the region.

"These employer relationships are really important for our students, who can apply their learning to the workplace, and creates opportunities for them beyond their studies. We have excellent relationships with regional law firms and larger companies in the region, as well as small and medium-sized businesses. We often have the pleasure of meeting our graduates when we engage with local and regional firms and institutions. A number of our Law graduates, for example, now work for regional law firms. In short, there is a big increase in confidence and ambition that has developed since becoming a university."

What's next: Over the coming year, an array of events will mark the anniversary:

• Ipswich's first-ever TEDx event, themed "Building a better Suffolk", takes place at The Hold on Thursday, 1 October. Tickets have sold out, but the event will be livestreamed
• The university's Open Lecture Series returns on Tuesday, 17 November, with former Chancellor Helen Pankhurst CBE and Lowestoft MP Jess Asato discussing equality and democracy
• Two Ipswich Book Festival events take place on Friday, 2 October, featuring musicians Rusty Egan (Visage and The Rich Kids) and Derek Forbes (Simple Minds)
• A Spotlight Suffolk event with a youth-focused panel is planned for early November, followed by a Christmas fayre on campus on Friday, 20 November

The bottom line: As it marks 10 years of independence, the University of Suffolk points to its graduates as its greatest achievement, with a year of events now set to celebrate the milestone across the county.

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