BRINGING YOU NEWS FROM YOUR LOCAL UNIVERSITIES
CUTTLEFISH JOINS OCEAN CRUSADE
Autumn 2026
A giant willow cuttlefish joined the Beach Beasties campaign this summer, highlighting Cornwall’s marine wildlife and coastal habitats. Conceived by Falmouth University’s Head of Art Duncan Cameron, the 20ft sculpture was created through public workshops involving Falmouth students and the University’s Technical Facilities team, who helped drill, cut and weave the willow structure. Launched for World Ocean Day in June, the mechanical masterpiece was paraded along Gyllyngvase Beach during Falmouth’s Festival of the Ocean. Described by Duncan as “beautiful, intelligent and colour-changing masters of camouflage,” cuttlefish play a vital role in Cornwall’s marine ecosystem. The project follows last year’s Basket Shark, which returned for the Surfers Against Sewage Paddle Out in May to support calls to end sewage pollution in UK waters.
STUDENT FIRST-AIDERS HELP SAVE A LIFE
Sammy Kraft from Penryn First Aid Society demonstrates resuscitation.
Three student volunteers from the Penryn First Aid Society, part of the Falmouth and Exeter Students’ Union, supported as community first responders to a 999 call involving a person in cardiac arrest earlier this summer. Working alongside ambulance crews and other emergency responders, they helped resuscitate the casualty – assisting with CPR, defibrillation, ventilation, airway management and the transfer of the patient to an ambulance. Since last September, members of the society have volunteered more than 500 hours and responded to more than 180 emergency callouts across Cornwall.
CORNWALL CREATIVES AND CRAFTSPEOPLE RESTORE WAYFARER FOR SEA VOYAGE See more inside
NEWS FROM UNIVERSITY OF EXETER, CORNWALL
CAMPUS MEMBERS JOIN RAF RESERVES Two members of the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus community have joined the Royal Air Force Reserves. Laura, from the Student Employability and Academic Success team, and master’s student Georgie are both based at RAF St Mawgan near Newquay. They completed basic training before taking on roles as a People Specialist and an Intelligence Analyst. The University supports members of its community who serve as reservists, helping them fulfil their reservist roles alongside their work and studies, as part of its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant.
Laura (right) with full-time reservist Alison, at the Royal Cornwall Show.
BACKING CORNWALL’S BIOSPHERE BID
The University of Exeter, Cornwall, has joined communities and researchers across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to support a bid for the area to become a UNESCO Biosphere. Biosphere status is a world-recognised accolade designed to improve the relationship between people and their local environment and support the adoption of new approaches to managing ecosystems sustainably for future generations. The status has been shown to stimulate regional economic growth and job creation, and reduce local unemployment. Learn more at www.cornwallvsf.org/biosphere
EXETER STUDENTS SUPPORT LOCAL ORGANISATIONS
University of Exeter BSc Business and BSc Business and Environment students have contributed more than 3,500 hours of support to more than 30 charities, community groups and businesses this year, through project-based placements. Our students helped organisations including The Poly, Truro Foodbank, Cornwall Hospice Care, Age UK Cornwall and the RNLI with marketing, research, fundraising, sustainability and business development. Placements give organisations access to focused support while helping students build real-world skills and typically involve 60-80 hours of work on a specific challenge. Any local organisations interested in hosting future students, please contact K.Northover@exeter.ac.uk
Business students Jemima Beard and Sofia Khan with Carolyn Webster (centre), Chief Executive of CLEAR – Emotional Trauma & Therapy Specialists.
FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE Our Centre for Ecology and Conservation welcomed more than 150 children from local primary schools to the annual Festival of Science. They enjoyed a huge variety of activities reflective of the range of subjects taught at Penryn Campus.
NEWS FROM FALMOUTH UNIVERSITY
FROM WORKSHOP TO WATER Booker-nominated author and Falmouth University creative writing lecturer Wyl Menmuir has embarked on a new project inspired by the sense of calm he finds at sea. His forthcoming book, Seaworthy, due to be published by Picador in 2028, will explore how we can become more resilient and better equipped to navigate the choppy waters of modern life. As part of the project’s immersive research phase, Wyl restored Eleana, a 1962 wooden Wayfarer, at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, before launching her at Falmouth in May. Working throughout with lecturers and students from the University, as well as creatives and makers from across the county, Wyl ultimately aims to sail Eleana to the Isles of Scilly. Follow Wyl’s progress at wylmenmuir
EN ROUTE TO SUCCESS
FUND YOUR FUTURE
Customers of OTS Minibus & Coach Hire can now access a clear route map of Falmouth and the surrounding area on the company’s website, thanks to Graphic Design BA(Hons) student Clay Ono. Clay, whose interest in cartography prompted him to approach OTS with his design, said: “Effective public transport systems can be a gamechanger for communities, connecting people to leisure, education and work opportunities, while also being a more sustainable way to get around. These networks should be as well-presented and as appealing as possible.”
Falmouth University is opening up new opportunities for adults to upskill, retrain and progress in their careers, as an official provider of the Government’s Lifelong Learning Entitlement. Launching in January 2027, the scheme will offer new learners up to four years of tuition fee funding for flexible higher education courses, available until the age of 60. Find out more at gov.uk
NEW HONOURS AT FALMOUTH Three new Honorary Fellows joined the Falmouth University community this summer, including actor, writer and comedian Edward Rowe. Born in Roche, Edward created the iconic Kernow King and has starred in films including Bait, Enys Men and Rose of Nevada, produced with Falmouth’s Sound/Image Cinema Lab. He is also known for his pantomime dame performances at Hall for Cornwall. Sanj Srikanthan, CEO of ShelterBox, and artist Denzil Forrester MBE were also honoured, while musician and songwriter Gwenno Saunders received an Honorary Master of Arts.
EVENTS
Falmouth University’s arts centre AMATA at Penryn Campus offers an exciting programme of performances and productions. This season’s highlights include… PERFORMANCE 3 October Rhum and Clay: Mistero Buffo. A darkly comic look at the absurdities and inequalities of everyday life. DANCE 10 October
TWAWSI. Redefining dance from the African Diaspora – a powerful double bill from ACE Dance & Music. FAMILY 28 October
All the Small Things. A new spin on fairytales, featuring storytelling, singing, puppetry and comedy. MUSIC 21 November Cara Dillon. The Irish folk singer performs with acclaimed musician and producer Sam Lakeman. Visit falmouth.ac.uk/arts-centre for info and booking. FITNESS Reboot your routine! Free Park Run, every Saturday, 9am, Penryn Campus. parkrun.org.uk/penryncampus
EXPERT’S CORNER Gina Goodman, an award-winning underwater photographer and lecturer on marine and natural history photography at Falmouth University, has spent 18 years exploring, photographing and championing Cornwall’s marine habitats. She says: “It’s a privilege to understand an environment so intimately and to share that experience.”
Gina’s tips: spotting bioluminescence
Bioluminescence, or ‘sea sparkle’, is caused by tiny plankton called Noctiluca scintillans which emit flashes of blue light when disturbed. The effect is unmistakeable, like swimming in starlight. It’s most often seen from June to autumn, within two days of a new moon and after sunny weather. Look for water with a green tint, the more ‘pea soup’ the better, on a dark beach: no fires, minimal torchlight, 11pm onwards. The plankton need agitation to glow, so wade in – knee-deep is plenty. Choose a shallow, calm beach, check tides times and never leave your depth. There are no lifeguards at night, so never go alone and tell someone on land when you’ll be back. Wearing a wetsuit is recommended, as cold-water shock can occur even in summer.
LATE-NIGHT STUDENT EVENTS
FLYING THE FLAG
12, 13 and 14 September
Our Penryn Campus has been honoured with the coveted Green Flag Award for the ninth year in a row. Managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under a government contract, the award recognises and rewards parks and green spaces meeting high standards around cleanliness, safety and sustainability. Our campus grounds are free to visit, year-round, so come and see the award-winning work of our Grounds team for yourself! Highlights include the 18th-century lime tree avenue, veteran oaks, historic rare Victorian rhododendrons and sub-tropical planting.
Grounds and Gardens Manager Toby Nenning with gardeners Alasdair Garnett and Dave Roberts.
falmouthuni / uniexecornwall
During our late-night events throughout Welcome Week, our Penryn Campus Safety & Support team will patrol key areas of campus to minimise noise disturbance. The team can be contacted on 01326 255875.
OPEN DAYS To learn more about studying at your local universities, book an Open Day or come for a campus tour.
University of Exeter, Cornwall Open Days: Sat 10 Oct (undergraduate) Sat 27 Feb 2027 (postgraduate) exeter.ac.uk/open-days Falmouth University Open Days: Sat 3 & 24 Oct; Sat 14 & Wed 25 Nov falmouth.ac.uk/experience
Falmouth University / UniExeCornwall