University sports students set to study at major Commonwealth Games venue

University News Last updated 17 March 2023

BCU sports students Thierry Anderson Taylor, Joshua Nathan and Anisa Hussain in front of the Alexander Stadium West Stand

Birmingham City University (BCU) has today announced a major £5 million investment to help transform parts of Alexander Stadium into a world-class home for its sports and exercise-related courses.

Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences

Birmingham City University

The eyes of the world were on the iconic stadium last summer when it hosted key events as part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, including the opening and closing ceremonies.

And the stadium will now play host to an altogether different type of sporting success as BCU’s sports students will begin studying at the stadium in Perry Barr in 2024.

Work is underway to adapt the stadium’s East and West stands so they can house a range of specialist equipment and teaching facilities that will eventually be the base for up to 1,200 BCU students.

Leaders from BCU and Birmingham City Council met today to publicly sign the lease for the latest major milestone in the Alexander Stadium story. BCU will become one of the venue’s tenants alongside the likes of UK Athletics and famous athletics club Birchfield Harriers.

The Alexander Stadium was front-and-centre of the hugely successful Commonwealth Games, which showcased our great city to a global audience. That’s why we’re delighted that our students will soon be calling the venue home.

As the University for Birmingham, it is our mission to transform the lives of our students, the city and wider society. The Alexander Stadium is the perfect example of this; not only will our sports students benefit from world-class facilities based at an internationally-renowned sporting venue, but we’re also playing our part in securing the legacy of the Commonwealth Games for both the city and future generations.

It is also fitting to be maintaining our links with Perry Barr, once home to BCU’s main campus for many years until our move to the city’s Eastside. We are looking forward to reconnecting and forging new connections in the area to bring benefits not only to our students but the wider community.

Professor Philip Plowden, Vice-Chancellor at Birmingham City University

Training the athletes and sports professionals of the future

The Alexander Stadium will house a comprehensive collection of cutting-edge equipment – including biomechanics labs, environmental chambers and anti-gravity treadmills – to provide the best possible environment for elite sports and exercise teaching and learning.

BCU’s teaching space at the stadium will provide the perfect setting for a new generation of sports therapists, sports scientists, nutritionists, sports coaches, and other sports professionals.

The University originally launched its sports and exercise courses in 2017. Since then, the courses have proven hugely popular with students preparing for careers in the sporting industries.

BCU’s history in the Perry Barr area dates back to the opening of North Birmingham Technical College in 1966, later incorporated into Birmingham Polytechnic in 1971.

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