An important aim will therefore be to provide knowledge transfer to water and environmental managers in the
Environment Agency, other government agencies and Industry to underpin policy decisions on sustainable water issues and ensure that the knowledge gained from research is effectively disseminated among all relevant stakeholders. This will be guided by an external Advisory Group, made up of stakeholders, funding agencies and nominated scientists from the Universities, and themed areas which meet industrial needs in research and short course provision. Courses on environmental management of different types would be provided for both UK and overseas managers.
This is just one of several areas in which the Universities of Lancaster and Liverpool are developing closer links and interactions in research and teaching. Both institutions have proven and extensive track records on research into freshwater and marine habitats, most of which is supported by substantial NERC funding. NERC research institutes are sited on both campuses, The Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory at Liverpool and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology at Lancaster.
The
Lancaster Environment Centre is a major new £20m initiative that is bringing together, in new accommodation on the campus, the wide range of environmental research across university departments and faculties and the scientists from CEH Merlewood and Windermere. This development has resulted in one of the largest concentrations of environmental scientists anywhere in Europe on the Lancaster Campus.
Similarly, Liverpool has a major new investment in the £25m
Biosciences Building with state of the art facilities. Both institutions are well advanced in forming, with the expanded
University of Manchester, a North West Environmental Alliance funded (c. £ 0.9M) by the
NWDA. The universities in NW England have enthusiastically embraced the concept that the universities develop better connectivity to regional industry/ commerce as drivers for economic sustainability and quality of life. Both Universities are represented on the Council of the
Mersey Basin Campaign, with Prof. Peter Batey acting as the current Chairman.
