Last week, BU joined with Kaplan, Legal & General Property and Watkin Jones Group Ltd to celebrate a major milestone with a topping out ceremony for the new college and student residence building at the Bournemouth University International College.

The building represents a commitment by BU and Kaplan of £110m in a new purpose-built “Live-Learn” facility which is being funded by Legal & General.  Teaching and study space is co-housed in the same building with a student refectory and accommodation with 392 beds in both group flats and studios.  With 16 floors, and views out to the Isle of Wight, and Old Harry, the Purbecks and the New Forest, this will be the highest building in Bournemouth.

Bournemouth University International College is an educational collaboration between Kaplan International and Bournemouth University.  The College supports international students to achieve their ambition of becoming Bournemouth University students by preparing them for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.  Successful completion of the College’s preparation courses with the grades required by the University guarantees students a place at the University.

Professor John Vinney, Vice-Chancellor of Bournemouth University added: “This building is an exciting new development in our constant efforts to offer the best student experience possible and is a very tangible demonstration of how much we value our international students.

“The boost that they give to the local economy is huge, but that in turn is dwarfed by the importance of the global perspective that they bring, which is absolutely essential in developing the cultural awareness of the University and preparing all of our students for the global workplace.

“The University is particularly pleased to be able to continue to invest in our local area – developing world-class buildings and facilities to enable world-class performance”.

Rachel Woodward Carrick, College Director, said: “We are thrilled that Kaplan has chosen the Bournemouth University International College for its first ‘Live-Learn’ facility, which is a market-leading offering. Housing classrooms, study space, accommodation and social space together in one state-of-the-art building will give students a safe and convenient living and learning environment with more time to immerse themselves in their studies.”

The building will house a “Knowledge Hub” which will feature informal, flexible learning and study space for students, either in groups or individually, to use outside of teaching hours. A weekly programme of activities will complement students’ college work and residents can take advantage of drop-in sessions with a tutor for help with assignments, essays and projects. There will also be a number of social spaces, including a media room, games area and outdoor common room terrace on 12th floor.  And, while all flats will have kitchens, there will be a refectory featuring foods from around the world and themed dinners.