West Midlands Combined Universities: FAQ's

WMCU is a formal partnership between Birmingham City University, Coventry University and the University of Wolverhampton – three leading West Midlands universities who are joining forces to meet the demands of devolution across the region.
Our vision is for the three universities to share assets and expertise to build on the impressive established strengths we already have individually to collectively make an economic impact on a scale and reach previously unseen across the region.

Ultimately, the beneficiaries will be the residents and businesses of the West Midlands through improving skills, job opportunities and productivity, which in turn raises earnings and opportunities.
The partnership is being established to increase our collective impact in addressing some of the biggest challenges the region faces – and we’re confident that the impact will be transformative.

With a combined turnover of £600 million, a collective staff base of 8,500 and 70,000 studentsbetween us, we intend to:

fill predicted nursing shortages in the region by offering flexible, region-wide courses tailored to WMCA skills needs, and with greater access to facilities;
close the skills gap in the automotive sector by working with local businesses to provide higher apprenticeships alongside existing degree programmes;
retrain current industry sectors with new skills and in new technologies, as well as inspire young people to follow careers in these areas;
encourage cross-pollination of knowledge and ideas through applied research collaborations to bring forward innovations in priority sectors;
as the partnership develops, we could also create brand new joint offerings, such as doctoral hubs or regional training programmes.

Regional devolution is a reality. The Northern Powerhouse is getting into its stride with local universities there bringing their expertise to the table; here in the West Midlands the Combined Authority is coming into operation shortly.
We believe this region can make a step change to transform the economic prosperity for its residents and businesses and that the three universities, all of whom have established track records in making a difference through education, skill enhancement and applied research can contribute significantly.

Each university will retain its distinctiveness and control over its core functions of awarding degrees and undertaking research.
This is simply the natural extension of joint work we already do – by entering into a formal partnership we signal to the West Midlands our ambitions and belief in the region’s future success.
Our individual commitment remains to our own students, staff and communities – our collective commitment is to the region.

Our three universities already have a strong track record of working together in the region. We have similar outlooks, focuses and visions.
Representing the three core cities between us we cover the whole region.

We will each continue to be members of other university groupings and work through these as appropriate.

Absolutely. This is a wonderful opportunity for them. For students, it will allow much easier access to each other institution’s facilities, opening up access and better aligning with their learning styles and home lives. For staff, the partnership will make it easier to collaborate, share ideas and access each other institution’s assets – avoiding duplication and leveraging scale.

Our three Vice-Chancellors will be meeting regularly to take this partnership forward, focusing initially on specific projects aimed at closing crucial skills gaps and building on the proven track record of all three universities for enterprise and innovation. We anticipate there will be significant opportunities for staff and students to engage directly in the work of WMCU in the months and years ahead.

If you have any further questions, please contact Clive Winters.

Priory Street
Coventry CV1 5FB
United Kingdom