His Royal Highness The Duke of York visited the campus this morning and met with students鈥� graduates and staff to discuss how universities are contributing to the UK鈥檚 economic recovery through engineering and technology.
His Royal Highness particularly sought to explore鈥� first hand鈥� the close working relationships between one of the UK鈥檚 leading research universities and industry and to encourage scientists and entrepreneurs to partner the discovery and development innovations and discoveries as a catalyst for economic growth.
During his visit to the University鈥檚 Highfield Campus, The Duke of York formally opened a Careers Fair organised by Electronics and Computer Science. The Fair attracted 65 of the UK鈥檚 leading graduate technology recruiters offering graduate recruitment聽opportunities, as well as summer internships and industrial placements, whilst aiming to build relationships with students as they progress through their degrees. Many of the companies also provide prizes and awards for academic course modules, and pay regular visits to give technology presentations.
鈥淚t is a great pleasure to join you at the University of Southampton which is globally renowned and a university of which the United Kingdom is extremely proud,鈥� said His Royal Highness
鈥淭he fact that the Careers Fair has grown to the size it is today – and is actually bursting at the seams – is a sign of how important this university is and how keen businesses are to come here and attract students to work for them.鈥�
His Royal Highness then led a roundtable discussion on entrepreneurship and employability with students and graduates joined by University Vice-Chancellor Professor Don Nutbeam, University Chancellor Dame Helen Alexander and Dean of the Faculty of Physical and Applied Sciences, Dame Professor Wendy Hall.
The visit concluded with a tour of the University鈥檚 world-leading Optoelectronics Research Centre focusing on photonics and fibre optics and Nanofabrication Centre which recently produced a new transistor made from graphene, the world鈥檚 thinnest material.