The North West Universities Association is a representative body in the North West of England, intended to advance the development of the fifteen higher education

Higher education

Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...

 establishments.

Role

The primary aim of the NWUA is to act as an organisation through which the universities of the North West can identify common goals, and thus move forward together through collaborative action, thereby maximising their contribution to the social, economic and cultural life of the North West of England and managing to develop partnerships with business, industry and public bodies in this process.

A more general aim of the NWUA is to attempt to foster better overall relations between the institutions of the North West, and establish a lasting relationship.

NWUA also runs the Leonardo da Vinci programme, the European Commission's vocational training programme which aims to facilitate student and staff mobility throughout Europe. The programme provides funding for students to undertake a work placement related to their academic study in another European country and for staff to visit European institutions and companies to exchange knowledge and develop vocational training.

The NWUA is affiliated with the UK Government, the North West Regional Assembly

North West Regional Assembly

The North West Regional Assembly was the regional assembly for the North West England region of the United Kingdom. It was based at Wigan, in Greater Manchester. It was abolished in July 2008.-Creation and functions:...

, the North West Regional Development Agency, the Chamber of Commerce

Chamber of commerce

A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...

, CBI

Confederation of British Industry

The Confederation of British Industry is a British not for profit organisation incorporated by Royal charter which promotes the interests of its members, some 200,000 British businesses, a figure which includes some 80% of FTSE 100 companies and around 50% of FTSE 350 companies.-Role:The CBI works...

, the North West Science Council, and other organisations, who assist in promoting the collective ambitions of the establishments.

Member institutes

NWUA has fourteen members:

• University of Bolton
  University of Bolton
  The University of Bolton is a university in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It has around 14,000 students across all sites and courses, with 700 academic and professional staff. Around 70% of its students come from Bolton and the North West region...
  
  
• University of Central Lancashire
  University of Central Lancashire
  The University of Central Lancashire is a university based in Preston, Lancashire, England.The university has its roots in The Institution For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge which was founded in 1828. In 1992 it was granted University status by the Privy Council...
  
  
• University of Chester
  University of Chester
  The University of Chester is a public research university located in Chester, United Kingdom. The University, based on a main campus in Chester and a smaller campus in Warrington, offers a range of foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as well as undertaking academic research.Chester...
  
  
• University of Cumbria
  University of Cumbria
  The University of Cumbria is a university in Cumbria, England. Its headquarters are in Carlisle. and other major campuses are at Lancaster, Ambleside and Penrith. It was established in 2007, with roots extending back to the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts established in 1822 and...
  
  
• Edge Hill University
  Edge Hill University
  Edge Hill University is situated in Ormskirk, Lancashire, England. It has three faculties: Education, Health and Social Care, and Arts and Sciences.- History :...
  
  
• University of Lancaster
• University of Liverpool
  University of Liverpool
  The University of Liverpool is a teaching and research university in the city of Liverpool, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration. Founded in 1881 , it is also one of the six original "red brick" civic...
  
  
• Liverpool Hope University
  Liverpool Hope University
  Liverpool Hope University is a university in Liverpool, England. Two of its three founding colleges were established in 1844 and 1856, the third opening in the 1960s. It is the only ecumenical university in Europe. Based on two campuses, the main campus is located in Childwall and the second...
  
  
• Liverpool John Moores University
  Liverpool John Moores University
  Liverpool John Moores University is a British 'modern' university located in the city of Liverpool, England. The university is named after John Moores and was previously called Liverpool Mechanics' School of Arts and later Liverpool Polytechnic before gaining university status in 1992, thus...
  
  
• University of Manchester
  University of Manchester
  The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
  
  
• Manchester Metropolitan University
  Manchester Metropolitan University
  Manchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
  
  
• Open University
  Open University
  The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
  
   (regional centre)
• University of Salford
  University of Salford
  The University of Salford is a campus university based in Salford, Greater Manchester, England with approximately 20,000 registered students. The main campus is about west of Manchester city centre, on the A6, opposite the former home of the physicist, James Prescott Joule and the Working Class...
  
  
• Royal Northern College of Music
  Royal Northern College of Music
  The Royal Northern College of Music is a music school in Manchester, England. It is located on Oxford Road in Chorlton on Medlock, at the western edge of the campus of the University of Manchester and is one of four conservatories associated with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music...