Landmark Issue 19 2021 SINGLE PAGES

46 LANDMARK RESILIENCE & SUSTAINABILITY Since its foundation in 1845, the RAC (since 2011 the RAU) has contributed to agricultural research in the traditional way – interested and talented individuals on the staff developed an interest in a circumscribed subject and investigated it to the best of their ability using the capabilities of the time. Their contribution over time has not been insignificant. For instance, in the immediate post-war period, Boutflour used studies on the College’s dairy herd of 13 cows to revolutionise the feeding of dairy cows enabling substantial increases in their productivity. Sadly, the times when such significant advances can be made with such slight resources are substantially past. Consequently, during the latter part of the twentieth century, the College prided itself on the quality of the education it offered and its knowledge exchange activities rather than the quality of its own research. By the time the RAU gained University status, the concept of the ‘well found’ laboratory being supported from Government grant funding had, alas, been abandoned, making it increasingly difficult for smaller teaching-focused Universities to establish and maintain the firm, supportive, research base necessary for research to flourish. The RAU’s submission to the last National Research Excellence Framework exercise (REF) in 2014 demonstrated the newly formed University’s inability to rise to this challenge. To be a modern twenty first century University with global reputation research is critical for many reasons; it attracts world-class academics and grants and government funding, informs the most up-to-date teaching and improves league table performance that influences student recruitment. In consequence, it was a major objective of the Vice- Chancellor appointed in 2016 to reverse this situation and establish research capability as a significant strand in the University’s operation. To achieve this the RAU has made several appointments, from professors to lecturers who have a global research reputation. In parallel, the number of research postgraduates from around the world continues to grow and A Research Campus for the University “To be a modern University in the twenty-first century, research is increasingly important” When theAgricultural Collegewas founded in 1845, its aims were twofold – to educate farmers inmore efficient farmingmethods, and to undertake research to enablemore food to be produced for the expanding populations in the towns and cities during the Industrial Revolution.