Interim Vice-Chancellor Professor Steve Bradley and colleagues Giles Carden and Tom Buckley travelled to Leipzig, Germany in October to attend an event to promote and celebrate the impending opening of the new Lancaster Leipzig campus and build networks with local industry, commerce and government.

Lancaster University Leipzig - Lancaster’s first in mainland Europe - will be opening its doors to students in early 2020 when the first foundation students will enrol on the foundation course.

Successful completion of the foundation course will allow admission to an undergraduate degree at Lancaster University Leipzig - currently, computing, software engineering, business and accounting and finance. Applicants to date represent 15 countries both in the EU and outside.

The campus is being launched with leading education provider Navitas.

The branch campus will offer Lancaster University degree programmes, with the University retaining responsibility over academic matters including Lancaster staff teaching the degree programmes. Navitas will be responsible for the provision of leased premises and facilities for the campus, student recruitment and support services and administrative staff.

Professor Steve Bradley said: “One of Lancaster’s goals is to be truly globally significant. We have developed partnerships across the world to ensure it delivers teaching that takes students to the frontiers of knowledge and produces graduates who can compete in a global job market.

“At a time when there is such uncertainty in so many parts of the globe, Lancaster remains resolute in our determination to be a university that is open and accessible to the world.”

Leipzig is home to local students who want to work internationally, and experience the benefits of a university with a strong reputation. In addition, students from Eastern Europe and international students with longer-term aspirations look to Germany, and Leipzig, for opportunities that do not exist in their home countries.

A centre of technological competence, innovation and global industry, Leipzig has high employability prospects, a vibrant student life and low cost of living. It also has post-study work rights with easy transition to permanent residence for international students.

The Leipzig suite of programmes were chosen in collaboration with local policy makers and industry representatives.

Paul Lovegrove, CEO of Navitas Germany said: “When we decided to set up a campus here in Leipzig, we were supported by a dedicated group of representatives from the local area. It is with joy that we are able to celebrate the milestone of starting operations of Lancaster University Leipzig here in Germany with our trusted partners and further selected guests from politics, industry and fellow HE providers.”

The ethos of the new institution is to provide highest quality teaching and learning coupled with individualised student support.

Dr Elisabeth Grindel-Denby, Lancaster Leipzig Campus Director, said: “Here at Lancaster University Leipzig, we are able to offer students the access to a world-wide network of students and alumni of Lancaster University, as well as individualised social, language and career support, in the beautiful city of Leipzig”.

The next 5 years will see Lancaster University Leipzig’s growth in student and staff members, number of programmes and size of premises.

Image captions:

Top - Professor Steve Bradley, Interim Vice-Chancellor, Tom Buckley, Director of Recruitment, and Birgit Hirst, former Director of Strategy and Business Development, Navitas.

Bottom - Dr Giles Carden, Chief of Staff & Director of Strategic Projects, Lancaster University with Clemens Schulke, Office Head, Office for Economic Development, City of Leipzig.