Academy showcases its work for Cardiff city region

The National Software Academy (NSA) this week showcased the work it is doing to help shape the future of Cardiff city-region to politicians, businesses, community groups and the public.

Staff from the NSA took themselves from Newport to the historic Pierhead Building in Cardiff Bay for the showcase, ‘Partnering for Change: Cardiff University and its Activities in the Capital Region’. The one-day event, hosted by Cardiff University’s City Region Exchange and Vikki Howells, Welsh Labour Assembly Member for Cynon Valley, was designed to demonstrate the University’s engagement with the Cardiff Capital Region, a new way of talking about the local economy.

The NSA provided an overview of the aims of the Academy and the types of work that students undertake.  The lunchtime exhibition launch was attended by representatives from government, community and business across the Cardiff Capital Region, and was followed by an evening reception for project leads, Assembly Ministers, MPs, and senior officials from the University and city-region.

Matthew Turner, Academy Manager at the NSA, said: “It was great to be part of this showcase event which highlighted the work that the University does across the City Region.  The breadth of different activities in so many different sectors was inspiring and showed the impact that the University has outside of our traditional activities.”

City Region Exchange is part of the University’s Transforming Communities programme that was launched in collaboration with Welsh Government and communities in Cardiff, Wales and beyond.

The event this week showcased how the University is already working with partners across the city region to improve health and wellbeing, boost the economy, strengthen educational attainment and raise the quality of our environment.

The NSA were just one of many projects from across the University to take part in the showcase. Other exhibits included the Dawnsio’r Lingo project, which explores how dance and movement can contribute to the development of Welsh as a second language for young people in north Merthyr, the Centre for Community Journalism, Interactive Health Workshops and the CAER Heritage Project.