Director of Estates
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Cultural assets The University’s many cultural assets take in the Shakespeare Institute at Stratford-upon-Avon, which has direct working links with the Royal Shakespeare Company; the Ironbridge Institute in Shropshire, and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts – our own art gallery that houses works by many of the greatest artists in the western tradition. The Edgbaston campus also includes Winterbourne House and Garden, a unique Edwardian heritage attraction that is home to more than 6,000 plant species from around the world. Our cultural profile was significantly enhanced with the opening of the Bramall Music Building in 2013. This houses the Elgar Concert Hall, named after our first Professor of Music, Sir Edward Elgar, and is a striking venue that complements our global reputation in music, attracting some of the most talented musicians from across the world to study here. Sport Sport is integral to life at Birmingham and we are ranked third in the UK for the quality of student sport. Our new sports development, also due to open early next year, will include the city of Birmingham’s first 50-metre swimming pool – an asset not only for our students and staff but for the wider community. Future investment Our plans for the future are underpinned by long-established financial probity. We contribute £1 billion a year to our region’s economy. Our surpluses and substantial philanthropic support are re-invested into the intellectual and physical fabric of the institution, enabling us to plan with confidence for the future and to continue to invest in the facilities and services that are required for high-quality research, and an outstanding student learning experience. Led by our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir David Eastwood, the University is structured for swift decision-making, enabling us to capitalise on our academic range and financial strength as well as the opportunities that emerge in the fast-changing global HE environment. The City of Birmingham Birmingham is the UK’s second city and a major European centre. It is a city of business and ballet, canals and world-class concerts, jewellery and jazz, historical interest and contemporary vision; and has a rich and diverse community that creates a vibrant, multicultural and exciting place to live and work. So it is no surprise that Birmingham has been chosen by the Rough Guide as one of the Top 10 places in the world to visit in 2015. Symphony Hall, considered one of the world’s greatest concert venues and home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), forms part of the International Convention Centre at the hub of the UK’s canal network. The Hippodrome Theatre is home to the internationally renowned Birmingham Royal Ballet. Outside London’s West End, Birmingham boasts the highest concentration of live theatre in the UK, including regular tours by major opera companies. It is also home to the recently opened £189 million Library of Birmingham – the largest in Europe. The City Museum and Art Gallery houses the world’s finest collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings, alongside a major collection of Old Masters, Modern and Contemporary pictures. The National Indoor Arena, the National Exhibition Centre, National Motorcycle Museum, National Car Heritage Museum, and the National Sealife Centre are other visitor magnets while the iconic Bullring is one of the largest dedicated shopping facilities in Europe. Sports and recreation are well served; the city offers international Test cricket, top-flight football, international championship golf and top-class rugby. Birmingham is also home to over 200 restaurants serving up 27 kinds of cuisine, and has more Michelin starred restaurants than any other English city outside London. Birmingham is within an hour’s drive of Stratford-upon-Avon and the Cotswolds. From Birmingham International Airport, more than 50 different airlines operate scheduled services to 100 destinations worldwide. The University has its own dedicated railway station, while 50 million passengers a year use Birmingham New Street Station, which will be at the centre of the proposed high-speed rail network. London is 80 minutes away by shuttle service, with trains every 20 minutes.
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