University to celebrate 60th anniversary

The University of Warwick has announced plans to celebrate its 60th anniversary.

To commemorate the educational institution's founding in 1965, the university has programmed a year of events to mark six decades of education and research.

The events include a virtual-reality experience, a poetry trail, and a lights festival.

Vice-chancellor and president of the Coventry-based university, Professor Stuart Croft, said the celebrations would foster a "positive, lasting impact for years to come".

The celebrations start on 27 January with a festival celebrating innovations and grassroots growth in areas such as clean technology and health technology.

Then in May, there will be a poetry trail by the university's poet-in-residence, Sujatha Menon, inspired by the research of female scientists.

It will include a collaborative poem with Foleshill Community Centre members and each piece will be paired with a prologue highlighting the scientific insights that inspired the poetry.

In the autumn, an immersive virtual reality experience will revisit the rave scene in Coventry and the West Midlands.

In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats will provide a multi-sensory journey through the Acid House movement. It will be held in the Warwick Arts Centre.

The last of the events already announced is the Global Illuminations Light Festival, which will be kicking off in November.

Described as a "vibrant eco-friendly light spectacle", the event will feature projection mapping, a global soundtrack curated by students, and an international light procession.

The university has said more events and activities are still to be announced.

Vice-chancellor Professor Stuart Croft said: "At The University of Warwick, we are proud of our rich heritage as a world-class leader in education, research and innovation, locally, nationally and internationally.

"However, whilst this is an opportunity to take stock of the achievements of the past six decades, it is also a chance to renew our commitment to a further 60 years of innovation and collaboration."

"As we prepare to mark the university's prestigious 60th anniversary in 2025, it is the ideal moment to also reflect on our legacy."

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