Dan Norris Visit
News
MP and Mayor of the West of England Dan Norris visits BSU
Friday, 7 February, 2025Bath Spa University welcomed local MP and Mayor of the West of England Dan Norris to BSU’s Newton Park campus today, with the Labour MP for North East Somerset and Hanham not only meeting with the University’s senior leadership team, but also a group of students from a range of courses.
The Vice-Chancellor of Bath Spa University, Professor Georgina Andrews presented the University’s vision and ambitions before Mr Norris met with students and colleagues from BSU’s Politics degree.
Dan Norris is a key political figure in the southwest, serving as the Mayor of the West of England from 2021 until May 2025, and most recently being re-elected as a MP in 2024.
In a 45-minute Q&A session, BSU students had the opportunity to ask a range of questions varying from issues around AI to the cost of living crisis.
Commenting on the visit, Vice-Chancellor Georgina Andrews said:
“It was great to share BSU’s plans to scale up our work developing specialist skills in areas such as computer science and artificial intelligence through our short course unit and within the curriculum. We also discussed our plans to expand this into health and wellbeing through our new partnership with the RUH, and are keen to collaborate with Universities, FE Colleges and employers to help deliver inclusive growth within the Southwest, and beyond.”
Reflecting on his visit to BSU’s Newton Park campus, Dan Norris commented:
“I’ve enjoyed visiting Bath Spa University over many years and I was pleased to be able to meet today with new Vice Chancellor, Georgina Andrews, and to hear all about her team’s future plans. I always relish a Q and A session and politics students always have such thought-provoking questions! We covered a wide range of topics and I hope I was able to provide some insight into life as a politician.”
The visit of a local MP served as a great practical exercise for Politics students, with numerous topics covered and plenty of knowledge being exchanged.
Touching on the visit from a student perspective, third year Environmental Philosophy and Politics student Jagoda Stankiewicz said:
“I felt as though I had a lot of agency that you wouldn’t normally get because you’re usually so far removed. The back and forth was genuinely very humanising in terms of seeing yourself within the political process. It’s not just a decision that you’re feeling directly but the mindset of someone who is making that decision and is potentially able to bring forth change."
Bath Spa University offers a range of politics courses that allow you to gain practical experience whilst engaging with the challenges of the day.