Welcome
Cardiff: For the Future
Professor Hywel Thomas
Cardiff University is proud of its position in Welsh life and of its contributions to Wales across a wide range of areas. At this challenging time for Wales, we are striving to prepare our young people for their futures so that they can help to address the economic and social challenges that we face.
The Eisteddfod takes place each year shortly after our Graduation ceremonies in which 7,000 students have received the qualifications that they have worked so hard for. 94% of these will be in employment or undertaking further study after 6 months – the 3rd best result in the Russell Group. Next year’s graduates will be the first to benefit from the Cardiff Award which recognises the employability skills that students gain through extra-curricular activities both on and off campus. Let’s hope that they are as successful as Biosciences graduate Richard Martin who won a £250,000 partnership with Lord Alan Sugar on BBC’s The Apprentice or Archaeology graduate Abigail Carter who founded her own forensic resources business.
We are leading the Wales Doctoral Training Centre which prepares research students for careers in social sciences so that they are able to engage with a range of audiences and interests whilst being independent and critical thinkers who understand and embrace their responsibilities in a democracy.
Our work in preparing young people begins when they are at school. As well as trying to recruit students to Cardiff University, we work to give young people a sense of the world that they will enter. The University’s Confucius Institute has taken primary school pupils to China so that they can experience more of the culture of a country that will shape the future world significantly.
Through the ‘Step-Up to Law’ scheme, young people from Cardiff, Swansea and the Valleys have been given the chance to get firsthand experience of the study of law and the workings of the legal profession.
Whilst much of our work is focussed on the future, we are also actively working with companies across Wales to help them through these difficult times. This includes building business leadership through Leadership & Management Wales, helping business access researchers through the University’s Innovation Network and helping businesses improve competitiveness and productivity through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships working with businesses and charities to bring research skills and knowledge to bear on practical business problems.
The University has a unique and important place in Welsh life and we enjoy connecting and sharing this at the National Eisteddfod. We are very proud to be associated with one of Europe’s largest and oldest cultural festivals.
Professor Hywel Thomas
Pro Vice-Chancellor, Engagement & International