Transforming Penrhyn Road campus
A project is underway to transform the main building of Kingston University's Penrhyn Road campus for students, staff and the wider community. Approximately 4,000 square metres of the University's main campus is being refurbished to create new social, learning and collaboration spaces.
In phase one, which was completed in June 2024, we developed a number of student facilities and spaces. These included creating larger student social and event spaces and a new kitchen for students who commute to campus every day. We also launched the first of our Future Skills studios as well as a new dedicated hospitality area for student events.
Phase two of the Penryhn Road campus project is now taking place. Our transformed campus will have collaboration spaces and a new careers hub to support students with their career development and employability. Two further Future Skills studios will provide dedicated teaching space for the University's new Future Skills modules.
The project will see accessibility and sustainability improvements. With enhanced outdoor areas achieved in phase one of the project and a redeveloped courtyard in phase two, this will mean more green spaces for students, staff and visitors to enjoy.
Work is expected to be completed by mid-2025 and many of the facilities will be available much sooner.
The Future Skills student journey
Kingston University has identified nine attributes it will instil in its future graduates – creative problem solving, digital competency, being enterprising, having a questioning mindset, adaptability, empathy, collaboration, resilience and self-awareness. It aims to ensure all students can demonstrate the full set of attributes in a variety of contexts by the time they graduate, to boost their employability and ability to make a meaningful contribution in their workplaces and wider society.
From September 2023, every first year undergraduate has been studying and being assessed on a Future Skills module as a core part of their degree. In each new academic year, our students will continue to learn and be assessed on their Future Skills, until all undergraduates have completed the three-year programme.
Through the Future Skills module, I've been able to explore the evolving skills needed for career success. I've become much more aware of the importance of adaptability, critical thinking and digital literacy.
Daunté Redway, Mechanical engineering student
Future Skills gives students a practical knowledge of skills, such as creative thinking, problem solving, communication and collaboration, that we need to develop both at university and outside our studies.
Priyanshi Goyal, Accounting and finance student
