Episode 9: We Just Can't Get Enough of Rustbelt U

This episode of My Imaginary University features Alex Usher who is the President of Higher Education Strategy Associates. Alex is an internationally recognized expert on a range of fields within higher education and is the first My Imaginary Uni podcast participant from outside the UK.

The vision for a new institution is a novel one - Alex is keen to create Rustbelt U, an HEI which will be at the forefront of an economic renaissance and leading on the levelling up agenda in a city somewhere rather like Stoke on Trent or similar in the UK, Europe or North America. Wherever the precise location Rustbelt U is a very externally focused, comprehensive and mid-sized university and has a distinctive matrix organisation of academic disciplines. There is a lot of interdisciplinary activity and a significant investment in curricular specialists to support a different approach to academic design and delivery.

There is work based learning at scale too and plenty of international partnerships built around strong thematic research activity. Students have a different attitude thanks to the integration of work into learning but don't all wear ties. The campus experience is, distinctively, built around a high quality food offer. There is food everywhere and it really drives the campus as well as community engagement.

But this is very much a university in and of its community whether that is in Stoke or Gdansk (and there will definitely be an international rustbelt uni network) and focused on driving regeneration in its area. And as Vice-Chancellor Alex will both promote civility on campus and be a "pain in the ass" in driving forward delivery of Rustbelt's mission. We really just can't get enough of this kind of thing.