Dr. Sue Brownlow took up the post of CUC Director in April 2009. Sue agreed to answer a few questions about her background and about the role.
Q: What attracted you to this job?
A: I have a lifelong belief in the power of higher education to transform lives. I grew up in inner city Liverpool and was the first one from my family to go to university, which opened up a whole new world of opportunities for me. Working as a consultant for government agencies, and more recently with the Regional Development Agency, I became increasingly interested in what universities and colleges can do, not only for individuals, but for business, communities and the region as a whole.
Q: What brought you to Cornwall?
A: I married a Cornishman. My husband had a yearning to come back, so we jumped at the opportunity to move down here seven years ago. You could say that we're quite literally putting down roots here, because we're in the middle of setting up a small vineyard and with a bit of luck on the weather we'll be sampling our first crop this year.
Q: What do you see as the big challenges and opportunities for CUC over the next few years?
A: As a partnership we have some big promises to deliver on. We've come a long way, but there is still a lot of scope to improve the way Cornwall's businesses work with and gain from higher education. We also need to keep driving up the ambitions of young and not so young people in Cornwall so that can gain the higher level skills that will help them prosper.
Q: What do you do in your spare time?
A: I have three kids, aged 14,12 and 8, so there is never a dull moment. Singing is also one of my passions and I sing with the East Cornwall Bach Choir. Plus there's the vineyard, which is mainly my husband's business, but the whole family pitches in.
