Duke makes a visit to Silicon Tees Valley.The Duke of York
The title Duke of York is a title of nobility in the British peerage. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, been usually given to the second son of the British monarch. recently met graduate entrepreneurs who have set up their businesses on the University of Teesside The University of Teesside, based in Middlesbrough, UK, has a student body of 20,685 students as of 2005. Recording rises in applications of 11.4%/2.5% for degree courses beginning in 2005/2006 respectively has given Teesside, for two years running, the highest such percentage campus. Among those meeting Prince Andrew were Doug Wolff and Paul Dolhai, who came to Middlesbrough from Canada to study computer graphics. The pair stayed on to set up their own computer-games development company, Onisoft. The Duke even tried out a game-playing version of a computer dance mat adapted by the two Canadians. Doug told the Duke: "We decided to stay on Teesside as we have ready-made access to highly skilled graduates and students that we can bring in as and when we need them." The new businesses are part of a growing trend for Teesside students to stay put when they graduate and use their skills and expertise to help create a cluster of digital companies in the area. Since 2000, more than 60 companies have been established, thanks to help from the university's Upgrade2 Graduate Enterprise initiative. The Duke also met Sara Waters, of Middlesbrough; Matt Sibley, of Stockton; and Richard Hemsworth, of East Cleveland East Cleveland, city (1990 pop. 33,096), Cuyahoga co., NE Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland; inc. 1911. Mostly residential, it has some declining light industry. It is, however, the site of a General Electric lamp factory and research laboratory. , who as students set up their own animation company, Fake Believe. He also chatted to senior lecturer senior lecturer n. Chiefly British A university teacher, especially one ranking next below a reader. in computer-games design Clive Fencott, who founded Strange Agency as a university spin-out company with co-directors Oliver Davies, Jo Clay and Paul van Schaik last year. All three companies are based in the university's graduate business incubation centre in the former Victoria Road School. The building was redeveloped with support from the European Regional Development Fund and One NorthEast and officially opened by One NorthEast chairman Margaret Fay last May. It houses up to 20 of the campus-based graduate businesses. The Duke also found out about Middlesbrough's DigitalCity initiative from the project's director Janice Webster and met representatives of Indian company Nisai, which recently moved part of its e-learning operation to Middlesbrough to take advantage of the expertise of Teesside University's computing graduates. The Duke ended his visit by opening the Gateway project. The impressive new entrance, beside the original Constantine College building in Borough Road, was built to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the official opening of the original Constantine College by the then Prince of Wales Prince of Wales switches places with his double, poor boy Tom Canty. [Am. Lit.: The Prince and the Pauper] See : Doubles on July 2, 1930. University vice-chancellor Prof Graham Henderson said: "It is a particular pleasure that a senior member of the royal family has been able to join us in our 75th anniversary year and that we have been able to share with him the work we are doing to support the development of new companies on the campus and also the DigitalCity regeneration project. "I am sure the Duke has gained an excellent picture of the work of both the university and the wider Tees Valley." |
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