Universities at Medway

Universities at Medway is a collaborative higher-education campus in Chatham Maritime, Kent, created jointly by the University of Greenwich, the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University. Established in 2004, it provides a shared institutional presence in Medway rather than operating as a separate university with its own independent degree-awarding identity. The collaboration brings together teaching, academic departments, student services and shared facilities from its three participating universities. The campus occupies the former HMS Pembroke naval barracks, a historic military site whose principal buildings were constructed between 1897 and 1902. The barracks were developed on the cleared site of Chatham Convict Prison and later incorporated into the broader Chatham Maritime regeneration project. Chatham Maritime formed part of a large-scale redevelopment of a former Royal Navy site that began in the late 1990s, transforming the area into a mixed-use district with educational, commercial, residential and heritage functions. The historic buildings are central to the identity of the campus. The former barracks structures, together with the wider Chatham Dockyard setting, contribute to a heritage environment associated with the World Heritage Site application for Chatham Dockyard and its Defences. Universities at Medway combines these historic facilities with purpose-built and renovated academic buildings. The Pilkington Building, formerly the naval canteen, accommodates a refectory, lecture theatre and offices. The Grade II listed Drill Hall Library is shared by the partner universities and serves as a major academic and study facility. Academic provision spans science, engineering, health and social care, business, computing, pharmacy, sport and exercise sciences, social policy, sociology, journalism, music and audio technology, and natural resources. Departments and centres represented on the campus include the University of Greenwich School of Science, School of Engineering, School of Health and Social Care, School of Business and Computing, and the Natural Resources Institute. The University of Kent contributes the Medway School of Pharmacy, the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Kent Business School, the Kent School of Computing, the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, the Centre for Journalism, and the Centre of Music and Audio Technology. Some Kent provision is associated with the nearby Historic Dockyard site. The campus model gives students access to the academic resources and institutional frameworks of established universities while allowing the partners to share infrastructure in Medway. Its distinctive proposition is therefore based on collaboration, local access and the reuse of historic naval buildings rather than on a conventional standalone university brand. Recognition in the Kent Design Awards for the renovation of campus buildings also reflects the importance of architectural conservation and adaptive reuse to the site.

Universities at Medway was established in 2004 as a tripartite higher-education collaboration between the University of Greenwich, the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University. Its purpose was to create a shared university presence in Medway, Kent, using common facilities while allowing each participating institution to retain its own academic identity and responsibilities. The campus is located at Chatham Maritime on the site of the former HMS Pembroke naval barracks. The principal barracks buildings were erected between 1897 and 1902 on land cleared after the closure and removal of Chatham Convict Prison. The naval site later became part of a major regeneration programme for Chatham Maritime. Redevelopment of the wider former Royal Navy property began in 1999, and the resulting district combined heritage conservation with new educational, commercial and residential uses. The historic barracks buildings form the architectural core of the campus. They are also connected to the heritage significance of Chatham Dockyard and its Defences, which has been the subject of a World Heritage Site application. The campus therefore developed around the adaptive reuse of historically significant structures rather than being built entirely as a new university complex. Several buildings were renovated or adapted for university use. The Pilkington Building, formerly the naval canteen, includes a refectory, lecture theatre and offices. The Drill Hall Library is a Grade II listed building shared by the partner universities and provides library, study and learning support facilities. In 2007, the Pilkington Building and Drill Hall Library jointly received the Kent Design Awards' Building Renovation award. The Medway Building associated with the University of Kent was later nominated for Best Public Building at the 2010 Kent Design Awards. Academic activity at the campus covers a broad range of disciplines. University of Greenwich representation includes science, engineering, health and social care, business and computing, as well as the Natural Resources Institute. University of Kent representation includes the Medway School of Pharmacy, the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Kent Business School, the Kent School of Computing, the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, the Centre for Journalism, and the Centre of Music and Audio Technology. Some Kent departments and activities are located at the nearby Historic Dockyard site. Canterbury Christ Church University is one of the founding partners, although the supplied reference material does not specify its individual departments or programmes at the campus. The resulting institution is best understood as a shared campus and collaboration brand rather than an autonomous university. Its model combines the teaching and academic specialisms of three universities, common facilities such as the Drill Hall Library, and a location embedded in the heritage and regeneration landscape of Chatham Maritime.

• 2010

  Medway Building receives public-building nomination

  [1]Universities at Medwayen.wikipedia.org

  The University of Kent's Medway Building was nominated for Best Public Building at the Kent Design Awards.

• 2007

  Pilkington Building and Drill Hall Library receive design award

  [1]Universities at Medwayen.wikipedia.org

  The two renovated campus buildings jointly won the Building Renovation category at the Kent Design Awards.

• 2004

  Universities at Medway established

  [1]Universities at Medwayen.wikipedia.org

  The University of Greenwich, University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University formed the Universities at Medway collaboration at Chatham Maritime.

• 1999

  Chatham Maritime redevelopment begins

  [1]Universities at Medwayen.wikipedia.org

  Redevelopment of the former Royal Navy site at Chatham Maritime began, creating the broader setting in which the shared university campus was established.

A collaborative, multi-university higher-education campus that combines the resources of three universities with a distinctive historic naval setting in Chatham Maritime.

• Academic provision · 2004

  Higher-education programmes

  Universities at Medway hosts programmes delivered through its three partner universities. The documented subject range includes science, engineering, health and social care, business, computing, pharmacy, sport and exercise sciences, social policy, sociology, journalism, music and audio technology, and natural resources. The campus model allows students to study under the academic framework of the relevant partner university while using shared facilities.

• Shared academic facility

  Drill Hall Library

  The Drill Hall Library is a Grade II listed facility shared by the partner universities. It provides library and study infrastructure for students and staff across the campus and is one of the principal shared assets of the Universities at Medway model.

• Professional and health education

  Medway School of Pharmacy

  The Medway School of Pharmacy is among the University of Kent-related academic units represented at the campus. It forms part of the site's specialist health and professional education provision.

1. 1Universities at Medwayen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Universities at Medway official websitemedway.ac.uk