New university opens for business

The number of students is expected to rise to 3,000 by 2009

Cornwall's brand new combined university is gearing up for the start of term, on schedule and within budget.

There are hopes that the development near Falmouth will rank alongside the Eden Project and the Tate St Ives as a symbol of economic resurgence.

The centrepiece of the development, known as The Hub, is at Tremough in Penryn and was built at a cost of about £68 million.

Two thousand students are starting on campus this year.

The Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) is open for business after three years of planning, development and building work.

The Hub on the Tremough campus sports an unusual, eco-friendly grass roof that will help to better insulate the main building as well as slow the run-off of rain water.

University authorities are hoping to increase the student intake to around 3,000 within the next five years.

A large part of the money to build the university has come from the European Union's Objective One grants programme.