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A taste of campus life will be on offer later this week when The University of Nottingham throws open its doors to thousands of prospective students for its two-day annual summer Open Days event.
The University will be welcoming more than 30,000 students, parents and teachers on to its University Park, Jubilee and Sutton Bonington campuses over the two days.
And those planning a trip to Jubilee Campus on Friday can expect a celebration atmosphere prompted by the arrival of the Olympic flame that morning as it travels via Triumph Road, with staff, students and athletes competing in the University’s Tri-Campus Games cheering on the torchbearers.
University staff have been busy advising visitors on the best travel arrangements on the day to prepare them to successfully navigate the associated traffic delays likely to be caused by the closure of Triumph Road and surrounding routes, including Derby Road.
Big Night Out
Open Day visitors who reach Nottingham the evening before can experience Thursday’s ‘Big Night Out’ in the city, celebrating the Olympic Torch’s arrival with a range of festivities.
Nathalie Mortimer, Head of UK Student Recruitments, said: “Our summer Open Days are one of the highlights of the University’s calendar and offer us two days when we can showcase the quality of our courses, staff and facilities for which we are justifiably renowned throughout the UK.
“On top of the full programme of activities that students, their parents and teachers can enjoy, to learn more about what Nottingham — both the University and the city — has to offer, the arrival of the Olympic flame on campus will make this year’s event extra special.
“Obviously, we would advise people to plan ahead and build in as much time as possible for travelling on the morning. We have been working extremely hard to ensure that our travel guidance for Friday morning will result in the minimum of disruption for visitors and allow them to enjoy the sense of excitement surrounding this momentous event.”
Temporary closures
The vast majority of Open Days activity will take place at Nottingham’s University Park Campus. At Jubilee Campus, the main entrances — Triumph Road via Derby Road and Wollaton Road — will both be affected by the temporary road closures associated with the Olympic Torch Relay. The campus will be inaccessible to vehicles after 7.30am and parking will not be available until after 9.30am. The out-of-term hopper bus from University Park to Jubilee Campus will be suspended until 9.45am.
Plans have been made to re-route shuttle buses collecting Open Day visitors from Nottingham Railway Station and take them to University Park to minimise disruption to their journey as far as possible.
Further information about the Olympic torch route on Friday is available at http://nottinghamcity.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=18753
Packed programme
Those coming along to the University’s Open Days on Friday and Saturday can look forward to a packed programme of guided tours, presentations and degree subject-specific demonstrations and activities.
Hands-on demonstrations of experiments and inventions, practical lab sessions, taster lectures and interactive exhibitions will all be on offer.
The University’s Support Services Fair will be providing information on areas which could play a huge part in their time at Nottingham, including childcare services, the Students’ Union and the Health Service.
A range of general presentations will be available to enlighten prospective undergraduates on everything from studying abroad at one of the University’s overseas campuses and how to manage their money to an overview on accommodation and how the Chaplains can support them in following their faith while studying.
Nottingham's sporting facilities
There will be information and tours available for the University’s excellent sporting facilities, which include sports and fitness centres on all three main UK campuses, a swimming pool at University Park and facilities, events and coaching suitable for all levels from leisure to Olympic champion.
Professor David Greenaway, Vice-Chancellor at The University of Nottingham, said: “For those who are at the University’s Jubilee Campus on Friday morning, seeing the Olympic flame passing through will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
We also hope to offer prospective students a day they will never forget when they visit our campuses this week. The first visit to a University that may take them on their journey through higher education and to a bright future beyond is a very special occasion.”
More information about the University of Nottingham Open Days is available on the web at
www.nottingham.ac.uk/opendays
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’, has 42,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is also the most popular university in the UK by 2012 application numbers, and ‘the world’s greenest university’. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University aims to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2011, for its research into global food security.
Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest ever fund-raising campaign, will deliver the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future. More news…