Modern universities do a lot more than research and teaching. Coinciding with our 150th anniversary, this in-depth, independent report shows the impact UC has had on the Waitaha Canterbury region across economic, cultural, social, health, leadership, and environmental measures.
UC incubates businesses, makes education more accessible, stands with local communities in times of need, contributes to a more sustainable future, and works with mana whenua partners Ngāi Tūāhuriri to deliver on our responsibilities as Aotearoa’s first Treaty university.
The report underscores three key themes in the ways UC contributes to our communities:
Growing Waitaha Canterbury
- UC has incubated 372 start-ups, social enterprises, and spin-offs worth millions since 2018.
- Since 2019, UC has spent over $500 million in Canterbury, 65% locally.
- UC trains much of Canterbury’s workforce, with 49% of graduates who work in Aotearoa choosing to stay in the region.
Serving Waitaha Canterbury
- In 2021, UC’s Student Volunteer Army carried out 9,340 hours of volunteering, equivalent to $220,891 of service given back to the local community.
- 40% of UC graduates go into public service roles.
- UC trains 450 new teachers each year, over 60% of whom choose to teach in Canterbury schools.
Enriching Waitaha Canterbury
- Since opening in 2017, 12,000 people attended more than 300 public events at UC Arts in the city.
- UC's Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities attracted more than 60,000 visits since 2017.
These numbers are only a small sample of the significant impact UC has on our region.
