The University of Sussex has joined the universities of Kent, East Anglia and Essex to become the fourth member of the Eastern Arc research consortium.

At a ceremony at the Royal Society in London on 11 January 2024, the vice-chancellors of the four universities signed a memorandum of understanding that will support joint working in research, education, innovation, knowledge exchange, training, and equipment-sharing.

Launched in 2013, Eastern Arc has grown to be a significant regional catalyst for collaboration and cooperation, resulting in over £10m of funding for partnerships between two or more of the member institutions since 2020.

The Consortium has increasingly advocated for and led on issues of particular importance to the greater southeast of England, including coastal deprivation, food, diet and nutrition, and heritage, culture and placemaking. A series of Eastern Arc events has brought together academics and stakeholders to explore these issues, leading to reports which are helping policymakers and directing our future collaborations.

Within the universities, it has supported the development of a positive research culture, opening up training across the consortium, launching an Imaging Platform Alliance, and establishing an innovative mentoring scheme that has matched over 230 academics, technicians and professional services staff for their professional development.

‘I am excited to welcome Sussex to the consortium,’ said Phil Ward, Director of Eastern Arc. ‘The University, with its open, interdisciplinary and creative outlook, is a natural fit with us. It shares a similar geographic location and complementary research strengths but, just as importantly, it has the same ethos, encouraging interdisciplinarity and being ‘disruptive by design’’.

Professor Sasha Roseneil, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sussex, said: ‘We are delighted to be joining the Eastern Arc research consortium. Membership of Eastern Arc means committing to advancing and energising our collaborations with three great campus-based, research-intensive universities that are both geographically close to Sussex, and that are engaged in solving some of society’s greatest challenges in order to make both our part of the UK and the wider world a better place.’

Professor Karen Cox, Kent’s Vice-Chancellor and President, commented: ‘I am delighted to welcome the University of Sussex to Eastern ARC as the consortium continues to build on its collaborative research strengths and provide new opportunities for our research staff. By working more closely together in areas of common interest we make a greater positive impact across our regions, which will be more important than ever in the years ahead.’

In 2024 the Consortium will develop its strategy for the next five years, supporting the creative, civic and impactful work of its members, and ensuring that the work of regional, dual-intensive universities plays a central role in addressing the key issues that face the country.