Bangor University kick-starts Welsh-medium study

Apr 17 2008 by Dr Meri Huws, Western Mail

WELSH Higher Education is facing both a challenge and opportunity in the creation of structures and provision to enable students to study part of their degree programme through the medium of Welsh.

Universities and colleges across the higher education sector in Wales have been working together for more than a year through a network supported by the Higher Education Funding Council and organised by Higher Education Wales. This network allows us all to develop a shared understanding of the demand and to plan strategically to respond to that demand.

The changes in the education system across Wales during the past 30 years have led to a generation of young people who have received a significant proportion of their primary and secondary education in the Welsh language. It is now a challenge to us in the universities and colleges to ensure that those professional and academic skills are enhanced in both English and Welsh. Increasingly the public, private and voluntary sectors in Wales are seeking new recruits who can communicate effectively at a professional level bilingually and often multilingually.

At Bangor University we have grasped the challenge with enthusiasm and have planned strategically to develop a robust and modern curriculum for our students. We have identified areas where there is both a demand from employers and an internal potential for growth.

Natural and environmental sciences are examples of disciplines where bodies such as the Environment Agency and the Countryside Council for Wales have stated clearly that they need, and will need in the future, bilingual practitioners. At Bangor we have attracted bright young researchers and lecturers – through a HEFCW supported scheme – to develop new contemporary world-class courses. These developments are not restricted to the sciences.

At Bangor we are adopting a similar approach in law, criminology, social sciences, creative industries and music (including music therapy). These are strong strategic initiatives that ensure the sustainability of the provision.

We have also “kick started” developments where there is no tradition of any bilingual provision.

During the last year we have encouraged small-scale course developments in chemistry, ocean sciences and electronic engineering. These courses enable students to retain their language skills in these specialist fields.

As a consequence of a planned strategic approach to bilingual study, we saw at Bangor University a 20% increase in the level of Welsh-medium study in 2006-07, which is an unprecedented increase in an academic year.

This increase would not have been possible without the active support of the heads of colleges, the team that support the bilingual Blackboard platform and the planning office.

A team effort and strategic ownership at Bangor University is making a significant contribution to creating a highly- qualified bilingual work force in Wales.

Dr Meri Huws is Pro Vice-Chancellor at Bangor University