Former Cabinet Minister, the Rt. Hon. Justine Greening, is to deliver a special talk as part of the HiveAt10 celebrations on Tuesday, June 14 at The Hive.
The Rt. Hon. Justine Greening
The multi award-winning Hive, which was opened by HM The Queen during her Diamond Jubilee year in 2012, is Britain’s first university and public library and has regularly been among the most visited libraries in the UK.
Ms Greening, who served as Secretary of State for Education 2016-18, Secretary of State for International Development 2012-16, Secretary of State for Transport 2011-12 and Economic Secretary to HM Treasury 2010-11, will give a talk titled ‘Universities as engines of social mobility’.
One of Britain’s most influential campaigners for improved opportunities, social mobility and levelling up both inside Government and outside, in 2018 Ms Greening co-founded the Social Mobility Pledge to bring organisations together to improve social mobility.
She then went on to launch the Levelling Up Goals, which provide a framework to focus efforts on driving equality of opportunity at key life stages.
Ms Greening said: “The University of Worcester, under the leadership of Professor David Green, has demonstrated a commitment to being an anchor institution and spreading equality of opportunity. With the current cost of living crisis, there has never been a more important time for universities to articulate their purpose and make sure they are having a wider social impact.”
Ms Greening added: “The University of Worcester has positioned itself at the heart of the city by creatively opening up its facilities for public benefit. The Hive is a brilliant example of the work that the University is doing that goes far beyond its role as a provider of higher education and I'm looking forward to visiting and seeing first-hand the impact that it is having.”
Professor David Green CBE DL, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Worcester, which is one of the UK’s top universities for inclusion and social mobility, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Rt. Hon. Justine Greening, one of the UK’s most dynamic campaigners to The Hive as part of the 10th anniversary of this magnificent, highly successful facility.
“In her lecture, Justine will explore the role of universities in levelling up Britain. We look forward to learning about how we can be even more effective.”
Ms Greening is also a notable campaigner for women and girls and played a key role in ensuring that the UN's Sustainable Development Goal for Gender Equality was included in the Goals (SDG 5).
“Justine’s work for gender equality is deeply appreciated across the world and here in Worcester, where this has long been a top concern.” Professor Green added.
When Times Higher Education (THE) first reported on University Impact in 2019, it found that the University of Worcester was number one in the UK and number four in the world for Gender Equality.
The talk will take place at The Hive on June 14th as part of the HiveAt10, which celebrates a successful 10-year partnership between the University of Worcester and Worcestershire County Council which has seen the creation of Europe’s first fully integrated university and public library. The Hive has reimaged what a library should be in the 21st Century, connecting and engaging communities, creating opportunities and promoting a love of learning.
Over the next few months there will be a series of events and exhibitions that showcase what The Hive has to offer, past, present and future.