Monday 15 May 2017

A NEW brand for the University of Newcastle

BY JESSICA ROUSE and ALEX MURRAY

The University of Newcastle has unveiled a powerful new campaign this morning aiming to bring new ideas and new people to the campus.

The World Needs New and New Needs You are the two messages being pushed by the campaign to reflect the university's innovative approach to education and research which doesn't only deliver regionally, but worldwide.

"It is about two things, it's about recognition regionally, nationally and globally of the amazing things that we do at Newcastle. We're Australia's best kept secret and we're very quiet achievers and so that story needs to get out," said Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation Kevin Hall.

"The second piece is around recruiting students. It's a very competitive field and we're very interested in getting top leading students to Newcastle."

Researchers behind the rebranding say not only will students be encouraged to come to the university, students already on campus will be encouraged to take part and learn about the research happening right where they're studying.

"What we find is when we do go globally or in fact when we ask around students about what goes on in Newcastle in terms of research, there's a blank stare and so this campaign was tested amongst our student population and they absolutely loved it. They thought it gave them a sense of identity and a sense of pride in what the university has accomplished," said Kevin Hall.

Meanwhile, a small group of protestors have gathered today at the University of Newcastle calling for a 'Zero Carbon Campus', innovating a completely renewable energy efficient campus.

Carbon dioxide is constantly increasing with adverse environmental effects, as a result, the support for sufficient renewable energy plans is also growing.

With other Australian Universities such as Monash, Charles Sturt and Melbourne all decreasing their reliance on fossil fuels, the campaign believes Newcastle should follow. 

A representative from the 'Zero Carbon Campus' campaign, George Parry says the university council needs to consider the possibility of going zero carbon.

"The university has the ability to go one hundred percent renewable over a period of ten years with zero upfront costs with the clean air energy corporation and at the end of the ten years there will be an annual saving of $2 million to the university."