Global outlook for Peterborough’s new university

Published: 11 July 2022 at 12:00

Europe from space

Students from more than 40 countries have applied to study at ARU Peterborough

Peterborough’s new university will now be able to welcome students from across the globe when it opens in the autumn, following a successful application to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) for a site licence, permitting international students to study in the city.

ARU Peterborough will open in September offering a wide range of courses from Business and Management, to Cybersecurity, to Engineering as well as a range of Degree Apprenticeships.

As well as students from across the UK, the new university will be welcoming international students from all over the world to study at its brand-new campus on Peterborough’s Embankment.

So far, ARU Peterborough has received applications from people from more than 40 countries around the world.

Professor Ross Renton, Principal of ARU Peterborough, said:

“ARU Peterborough will primarily provide educational opportunities for the region. However, we know our brand-new facilities and innovative range of courses are appealing not just to prospective students in the local area, but internationally.

“International students provide immense cultural value to any Higher Education Institution, fostering a diverse learning environment, and we are looking forward to welcoming people from all over the world over the next academic year. This is an exciting new development for the university and city.”


Councillor Lynne Ayres, cabinet member for education, skills and the university for Peterborough City Council, said:

“It is very exciting indeed that the first students will begin studying at our dedicated university in just a matter of weeks. It's even more exciting that our city will be welcoming some of the brightest young people from across the world to study here. 

“It's great news for our university and proof that Peterborough is a place where people want to live and study and very positive for our economy too, which will benefit from the investment that these young people will make in our city."


Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, Dr Nik Johnson, said:

“ARU Peterborough is already attracting interest from talented people across the globe before the doors have even opened. Helping to make the city a destination of choice for skilled people and investment is one of the many benefits ARU Peterborough will bring, and it is fantastic to see signs of that already emerging.”


ARU Peterborough is a partnership between Anglia Ruskin University, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, and Peterborough City Council.

Places are still available to study at ARU Peterborough in September. In addition, a significant number of courses begin in January 2023. For more information, visit aru.ac.uk/Peterborough