Aston University
Aston University is a public university situated in the city centre of Birmingham, England. Aston began as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School in 1895, evolving into the UK's first college of advanced technology in 1956. Aston University received its royal charter from Queen Elizabeth II on 22 April 1966.
Aston pioneered the integrated placement year concept over 50 years ago, and more than 73% of Aston students take a placement year, the highest percentage in the UK. The annual income of the institution for 2021–22 was £197.7 million of which £19.3 million was from research grants and contracts, with an expenditure of £219.4 million.
In 2020, Aston University was named "University of the Year" by The Guardian, and the newspaper also awarded Aston Students' Union its "Buildings That Inspire" award. The Times Higher Education Awards named Aston University as its "Outstanding Entrepreneurial University" in 2020.
In September 2021, Aston was shortlisted for University of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards 2021.
In March 2024, it was announced that Aston University had become the second university in England to be awarded the Athena SWAN Gold Award at an institutional level in recognition of efforts to promote gender equality.
History
Predecessor institutions
The origins of Aston University are a School of Metallurgy formed in the Birmingham and Midland Institute in 1875. The Birmingham Municipal Technical School separated from the Institute in 1895, teaching chemistry, physics, metallurgy and electrical engineering; it expanded and by 1917 was also teaching botany and other subjects to trainee teachers. In 1911, commercial classes were introduced and grew into an independent School of Commerce by 1916. The school changed its name in 1927 to the Birmingham Central Technical College, to reflect its changing approach to teaching technology.In 1951, the Technical College was renamed the College of Technology, Birmingham, and work began on the Main Building at Gosta Green. In 1956, it became the first elite designated college of advanced technology and underwent a major expansion. It moved into buildings that were constructed between 1949 and 1955 to a design by Ashley & Newman. Princess Margaret laid one of the first foundation stones at the base of the new building in 1951. The building is one of Europe's largest freestanding brick buildings. In 1955, the College of Advanced Technology was opened by Queen Elizabeth II. The college expanded again to a design by the City Architect of Birmingham Alwyn Sheppard Fidler between 1957 and 1965.
University status
It officially became the University of Aston in Birmingham on receipt of its royal charter on 22 April 1966, and the first chancellor of the university, Lord Nelson of Stafford, was installed on 10 May. The charter of the university outlines objectives appropriate to a technological university: "to advance, disseminate and apply learning and knowledge by teaching and research, for the benefit of industry and commerce and of the community generally: and to enable students to obtain the advantage of a university education, and such teaching and research may include periods outside the University in industry or commerce or wherever the University considers proper for the best advancement of its objects." The emphasis given to the sandwich course system, and the maintenance of strong links with industry, arises naturally from the institution's history. The motto of the university is the same as that of the City of Birmingham – Forward.In 1983, Aston University, in partnership with Birmingham City Council and Lloyds Bank, established Birmingham Technology Ltd., which manages the Aston Science Park adjacent to the university site. The establishment of the Aston Science Park and Aston University's contribution to the city of Birmingham was fully recognised when the area was granted its own postal address "The Aston Triangle" in 1984, emphasising the campus as an official district of Birmingham. The logo of the establishment takes from the shape of the area.
2000 to present
Aston University hosted the British Science Festival in September 2010, said to be Europe's largest public science event.Since May 2011, Sir John Sunderland has been the Chancellor of Aston University.
The university is a lead sponsor of Aston University Engineering Academy, a university technical college which opened in September 2012. The UTC is for students aged 14 to 19 wishing to pursue further study and careers in engineering, and is located at the edge of the Aston University campus.
In October 2014, Aston announced plans to launch Aston Medical School in October 2015. The university also announced a £35 million cash injection for a major upgrade of the campus, including a new £19 million revamp of Aston Business School and improvement work to the Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies and the School of Languages and Social Sciences.
In February 2017, Aston University launched its online programme website. Four of their MSc programmes are offered 100% online to students in the UK and worldwide, including the Aston Business School's MBA.
In July 2017, Aston became the first University in the UK to have degree apprenticeship graduates. Aston began working in close partnership with Capgemini, to create the first degree apprenticeship: Digital and Technology Solutions in 2012.
In 2021, the university announced plans to close its Department of History, Languages and Translation, focusing instead on health, engineering, and business. This decision led to protests from members of the university, as well as humanities scholars broadly. Professional groups, including the Royal Historical Society and the American Historical Association, condemned the move, and public figures, including Sir Keith Burnett and Shadow Education Secretary Kate Green criticised the university leadership. Facing public opposition and protests from staff and students, university officials reversed their position and agreed to save the History programme, although cuts to language instruction would continue.
In 2024, a planning application was submitted to Birmingham City Council for the demolition of the south wing of the main building. In an attempt to "blur the boundaries between campus and city", remarking the wing was a "poor-quality extension to the original 1950's building", plans have been proposed to demolish the south wing, to rebuild the original south-facing main entrance facade, shorten Aston Street, and provide more green space and footpaths.
Campus
Established in 1895 as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School, The university is situated on a 60-acre campus at Gosta Green, in the city centre of Birmingham, England. As well as being home to over 3,000 students, the Aston University campus has the following amenities available: sports centres, swimming pool, 120 station gym, library, cafés, restaurants, pubs, shops, travel centre, hairdresser, health centre, dentist, places of worship, opticians, a bank, automated teller machines and plenty of outside space.Aston University Library is on four floors and contains over 250,000 books, 800 current printed periodicals and has over 700 reader places. It provides online access to over 40 electronic databases and more than 3,400 electronic journals. The library is open 24 hours a day to Aston students and staff during exam time, and on average, around 12 hours a day during term time.
Around the campus there are also various open-access IT suites, offering computer and internet access 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They offer access to a range of software packages, database systems and computer-aided learning materials.
Sports
The Aston's sports facilities include a 25 m swimming pool, sauna and steam room, two sports halls, 120-station gym, weights and fitness rooms, two-storey dance studio and 35 sports clubs. The campus also has two 3G floodlit sports pitches. Clubs train and compete, many in the British Universities and Colleges Sports Leagues. Off campus the university manages a 40-acre sports ground with floodlit pitches, pavilion for all outdoor sports.Organisation and administration
During 2020, Aston restructured its schools into three colleges, notably merging the School of Languages and Social Sciences with Aston Business School, and Aston Medical School with the School of Life and Health Sciences. The resulting colleges, schools, and departments are as follows:College of Business and Social Sciences
- Aston Business School
- *Accounting
- *Economics, Finance, and Entrepreneurship
- *Marketing and Strategy
- *Operations and Information Management
- *Work and Organisation
- School of Law and Social Sciences
- *Aston Law School
- *Communication and Culture
- *Society and Politics
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
- School of Computer Science and Digital Technologies
- *Electrical and Computer Engineering
- *Mathematics and Data Science
- *Computer Science and Cybersecurity
- *AI and Robotics
- School of Engineering and Technology
- *Mechanical Engineering and Design
- *Biomedical Engineering
- *Aston Foundation Centre
- *Aston Professional Engineering Centre
- School of Infrastructure and Sustainable Engineering
- *Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry
- *Engineering Systems and Supply Chain Management
- *Civil Engineering
College of Health and Life Sciences
- School of Biosciences
- Aston Medical School
- School of Optometry
- Audiology and Healthcare Sciences
- Aston Pharmacy School
- Neuroscience
- School of Psychology
Coat of arms
The crest is also designed to stress the pursuit of knowledge. It consists of a red torch held erect by a forearm between two branches of gold laurel. Having been originally worn on the helmet of a fully armed person, the crest is always placed on the top of the helm. The method of joining the crest to the helm was usually concealed by decoration and, in the university's arms, this is effected by the use of a wreath and a crown. The wreath is silver, red and black, these colours being taken from the shield. It is surmounted by a mural crown, which is reserved in modern grants for persons and organisations connected with public corporations. The cloth mantling which hangs down from the top of the helm is the survival of the cloak which was originally worn to protect the armour, coloured in the two principal colours of the shield, blue and gold.
In 2016, to mark the 50th anniversary of the university, Her Majesty's College of Arms granted the favour of supporters to Aston University's arms, following a request from the Vice-Chancellor, Julia King, the Baroness Brown of Cambridge.
On 29 September, during a service at St Phillips Cathedral, The Letters Patent was formally presented to Aston University by the York Herald, Michael Peter Desmond O'Donoghue Esq..
The arms are supported by a Canada goose and a red squirrel. The Canada goose represents the family of geese living on the university campus. The squirrel is the crest of the arms of Aston Manor and is a rebus.. This explains the ancient connection between the squirrel and Aston. The animal also appears on the university mace and on the chancellor's chain of office. This chain was originally the property of the mayor of Aston Manor.
The gorse around the animals' necks is a reference to Gosta Green. During the 18th century, it was known as Gostie Green, this combined the name of the landowner with the local plant called 'gorse'.