The Chief Executive of the Office for Students (OfS) has praised De Montfort University (DMU) Leicester for “creating opportunities for students” following her visit to the university’s Digital Learning Tech Hub.
The £6.5m hub was created with funding support from the OfS and was designed to meet the growing demand for advanced digital skills (such as cyber defence, artificial intelligence, data science, virtual production, creative technologies) and prepare students for highly skilled roles.
Susan Lapworth and her senior advisor, Mike Spooner, were invited to see cutting-edge technology in action and talk to both staff and students about its impact on teaching.
Susan said: “I love coming to universities like DMU, which is doing some heavy-lifting on creating opportunities for students who may not otherwise have the opportunities that higher education brings.
“It’s always really inspiring to come and see what our funding has been used for. I’ve enjoyed seeing the technology in action, particularly the filming in the Virtual Production Studio, because it gives students the experience of using equipment they will use in real life in their future careers.”
The Digital Tech Learning Hub includes a Digital Creative Suite with motion tracking and image capture technologies in Queens Building, which bridges the gap between computing and creative technologies.
It also offers students a cyber defence training network and a private cloud space, allowing learners to gain experience of real-world scenarios and gain advanced digital skills.
Thom Wilson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Effects and Virtual Production, said: “The Virtual Production studio has allowed DMU's creative visual media courses to collaborate more than ever before, integrating new emerging and immersive technologies with existing workflow pipelines to train students with industry-quality facilities.
“The collaborative creative space allows for real-time tracking, ultra HD displays, live events, broadcasting, eSports, immersive experiences and much more; being constantly developed and improved to meet both industry & student needs as the creative industry grows by the minute.”
DMU’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Artificial Intelligence, Professor Shushma Patel, said: “It filled me with pride to welcome Susan and Mike onto campus to demonstrate the hub’s innovative technology and the opportunities we are creating for students to access state-of-the-art equipment.”
“Digital innovation is at the heart of our teaching. Through the hub, our students will much-needed STEM skills that will make them stand out in the job market, while also having the confidence to problem solve and think both critically and creatively.”
Posted on Monday 16 June 2025