Newcastle University

Professor Mark Shucksmith (MSc Agricultural Economics 1977, PhD 1987)
Director, Newcastle Institute for Social Renewal

Newcastle University is renowned all over the world for the excellence of its research. We’re very proud of this and rightly so. But we want to go further and focus the work we are doing on issues which are important to people locally, nationally and internationally.

This is why we have created the Newcastle Institute for Social Renewal, because we want to answer the big questions facing the world today and use our expertise to look at the challenges which affect people’s everyday lives. How can people, communities and societies thrive in a world of rapid change?

Problems such as unemployment – particularly for young people – inequalities in education and health and the way changes in the world around us affect communities are just some of the areas we will be examining. This edition of Arches just begins to scratch the surface.

We launched the Institute with the innovative Great North Build exhibition, which used Lego to help members of the public – both young and old – to understand how those who plan our towns and cities make their decisions. Visitors had to think about problems such as how they would rebuild a city after a serious flood and where they would put new healthcare facilities. This was a great success in bringing the wider public in to share our work.

Elsewhere in the magazine, we chat to three social entrepreneurs who are helping their communities through their businesses; and hear about the health of the UK as a major financial centre from the Chairman of the London Stock Exchange. We also talk to ex-Dr Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson, an icon of British musical heritage.

Finally, be sure to take a look at our all-new alumni benefits initiative, the BIG Market, which provides exclusive offers from fellow graduates with an interesting product or service to share – from wedding photography to exotic flavours of tea.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Arches.

Professor Mark Shucksmith
Director, Newcastle Institute for Social Renewal