Chancellor highlights "The potential for collaboration" at LJMU to international guests

LJMU Chancellor Sir Brian Leveson has spoken of the “potential for collaboration” in transforming lives as he formally welcomed delegates from universities across the world at the European Association for International Education (EAIE) annual conference currently taking place in Liverpool.

As the EAIE Conference 2016 gets in to full swing, on behalf of Liverpool’s four universities, the Chancellor welcomed international delegates to the city, saying: “This is a truly international city, not least because of a student population drawn from across the globe but for the multicultural nature of the place known as the ‘world in one city’.”

Speaking of the need for collaboration, he said: “The people of Liverpool are outward facing, look for opportunity and look for potential. Potential is what we are all here for at this conference – the potential for collaboration. Over the coming days you will have conversations with people from all over the world, you will make new friends and form new partnerships, and who knows where those conversations will lead? Together you will get to imagine the future of international higher education.”

Sir Brian also highlighted the importance for generations of students to gain the transformational experience of studying within another culture and allowing them to become “confident global citizens.”

Having recently returned from an LJMU visit to China and Malaysia, Sir Brian also spoke of the importance of higher education in its ability to move beyond political and national boundaries, adding: “We don’t look down, we are not narrow in our focus, we welcome opportunity.”

Returning to the theme of collaboration, he described it as the “bedrock of scholarly pursuit” suggesting the environment and landscape of higher education will provide the answers on how we can operate best in our changing world. He urged those gathered to be the blueprint – with their enthusiasm, commitment and willingness – to work together and seek opportunities for a new generation of student mobility.

He concluded: “The alliances that you build at this international forum will be far more important in shaping the shared spaces in our world than recent events may have suggested. It is our challenge – and our opportunity – to be open and to engage with one another – and perhaps to demonstrate to the world that higher education can lead the way to harmonious, less divided and a more optimistic future.”

As part of the conference, delegates were also given a tour of the Redmonds Building where they were given the opportunity to meet with staff from all Faculties and learn more about the student experience at LJMU.

The tour also included a demonstration of the Corporate Communications’ Broadcast Hub and the Globelynx camera. Thanks to the hub, academics no longer need to travel long distances to TV studios to comment on news of national interest, they can instead deliver the interview to any broadcaster in the world, live from the Broadcast Hub. Similarly, TV producers no longer need to send a camera to the University. 

The Press Office regularly issues a list of items on the news agenda, and asks academics to come forward with expert comment on topical subjects. The Press Office has also made available its list of media experts, their contact details and areas of expertise to Globelynx. Working alongside the Press Office, Globelynx uses this database to identify academics' suitability to comment on issues in the news. 

The EAIE delegates were impressed by the facility and its ease of use, and they were also interested to hear that LJMU is the only North West university to have the camera. In total, only 11 universities in the UK are equipped with a Globelynx camera. The University Press Office has an above average usage of the facility, on average recording more interviews than other universities, and covering a wide range of global broadcasters and topics. Broadcasters the University has worked with include Sky News, CNBC Europe, Al Jazeera, TRT World (Turkey), Al Arabia (Dubai), FRANCE 24 and ITN.

Find out more about the Corporate Communications’ Broadcast Hub.