Anglia Ruskin University
ARU began in 1858, when the art critic, patron and philanthropist John Ruskin opened Cambridge School of Art. The art school grew to become Anglia Ruskin University, shortened to ARU, and it’s still at the heart of our modern-day campus in Cambridge. As well as Cambridge, we have campuses in Chelmsford, London and Peterborough. Our Chelmsford campus was originally in the city centre but moved to a new, purpose-built site in 1992.
With 12 world-leading areas of research, we’re making a positive difference – tackling global issues from climate change to mental health. We’ve also helped more than 2,000 businesses to grow and perform better.
You’ll now find seven high-profile research institutes at ARU. StoryLab was originally known as the Culture of the Digital Economy Research Institute when it formed in 2010. Today, it asks how – in our digital-by default era – people experience the world and their place in it, and experiments with modern, multimodal approaches to storytelling. In 2011, we established the Global Sustainability Institute. It focuses on issues surrounding climate change and sustainability and has quickly gained a reputation for its topical, high-impact research and reports. Next came the Veterans and Families Institute for Military Social Research in 2014, which is carrying out valuable research into the impact of military experience on veterans and their loved ones.
Our newest research institutes were introduced between 2016-2019. The Policing Institute for the Eastern Region, formed in 2016, focuses on research, professional development and knowledge exchange that will improve policing practice in the East of England. Meanwhile, the Positive Ageing Research Institute is committed to addressing the challenges and opportunities associated with ageing populations; and Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research is dedicated to advancing the understanding of music therapy and its ability to effect positive change on health and human wellbeing. Most recently one of our specialist research units, which had long carried out high-quality research into vision and eye diseases, became the Vision and Eye Research Institute.