Press Release
Rural research partnership will boost rural research
11 November 2008
Rural research has been given a boost following a recent partnership agreement between the Countryside and Community Research Institute and the Royal Agricultural College.
The Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) was formed from a collaboration between the Universities of Gloucestershire, West of England and Hartpury College. This latest additional partnership with the RAC will help broaden its capacity to tackle a wider range of rural research projects.
The RAC brings additional skills into the CCRI in the areas of agricultural economics, rural land management, agriculture and international consultancy. The potential for further developing international postgraduate education in a number of rural topics also is considerable with the combined staffing skills of four institutions to draw upon.
Professor Nigel Curry, Director of the CCRI commented, “Collectively, the scope of the CCRI now that the RAC has joined is much broader than it was, allowing us to conduct research over a wider range of rural topics than before and for a broader range of clients. Our critical mass is now one of the largest in the UK for rural subjects which gives us both depth and flexibility in the work that we undertake. It is likely that these kinds of joint institutes within higher education will become more important in the future as we seek greater international visibility”.
Professor Chris Gaskell, Principal of The Royal Agricultural College, said, “The Royal Agricultural College is very pleased to be a part of the CCRI, a strong partnership supporting the countryside. With such issues as the management of the environment, food security and the use of our land becoming ever more important, an understanding of the social and community aspects is crucial to the delivery of solutions, and the CCRI will be an important component in helping to provide that understanding”.
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Notes for Editors
The Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) is collaboration between the University of Gloucestershire, the University of the West of England, Royal Agricultural College and Hartpury College. It is one of the leading specialist rural research centres in the country with programmes of research in rural community development, rural poverty, agri-environment policies, agri-tourism, local sustainability, local economic development, EU and UK rural development, and the planning system in the countryside. See www.ccri.ac.uk for more information.
The Royal Agricultural College has been at the forefront of agricultural development since 1845. The expertise and skills of staff provide a range of undergraduate, postgraduate and training courses that combine academic excellence with a practical orientation. The College also carries out an active programme of contract research, often in association with other national and international academic and research centre.
Issued by:
Julie Ryan
Communications Officer
COUNTRYSIDE AND COMMUNITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Dunholme Villa,
The Park,
Cheltenham,
Gloucestershire
GL50 2RH
