Falmouth University joins Cornwall National Landscape Partnership

Falmouth University is to join the Cornwall National Landscape Partnership in a move spearheaded by International Business Management MSc course leader, Dr Greg Borne.

Cornwall National Landscape Partnership – the new name for the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – is a partnership network of over 20 organisations committed to the conservation and celebration of the Cornish landscape. 

Along with fellow new members the Forestry Commission and Inclusion Cornwall, the collaborative partnership works to deliver the Cornwall National Landscape Management Plan which aims to create benefits for people, place, nature and climate. The partnership also has an advisory role, providing advice to Cornwall Council and other organisations on issues such as planning and development.   

Greg was recently invited to become a Cornwall AONB Trust board member, and it was after his first meeting with the team that the idea for Falmouth University to become a partner first developed.   

Having grown up in an AONB in Devon, Greg was aware of the importance of landscape from an early age. This prompted a subsequent interest in sustainable development, which has been the focus of his career for over 25 years. He told us: “Being invited by Hugh St Aubyn, Chair of the Cornwall AONB Trust, to become a board member felt like the perfect way for me to contribute to a landscape that has given me so much, and a real opportunity for me to use my experience to benefit Cornwall.  

“During our first meeting it was clear to all of us that a partnership between Falmouth University and Cornwall National Landscapes would be hugely beneficial for Cornwall.”  

Hugh St Aubyn commented: “It is a great addition to Cornwall National Landscapes and Cornwall AONB Trust that Dr Greg Borne has joined as board member, bringing decades of expertise in sustainability. By representing Falmouth University in the Cornwall National Landscapes Partnership, it brings a key player in delivering sustainability objectives within Cornwall.” 

I know this is going of be of huge benefit to both Falmouth University and Cornwall National Landscape, and for the region more broadly. I’m really looking forward to working closely with everyone involved in the coming months - Dr Greg Borne 

Partnerships Manager, Emma Browning, added: “We are delighted to have Dr Greg Borne representing Falmouth University as a new partner of Cornwall National Landscape Partnership, which will bring a new stand to the Partnership with exciting opportunities to increase awareness, expand knowledge and together deliver for people, place, nature and climate.”  

As course leader for Falmouth’s International Business Management MSc, Greg is looking forward to the opportunities for students which will arise from Falmouth’s involvement in the Cornwall National Landscape Partnership, such as potential field trips and educational activities, as well as guest lectures from the Cornwall National Landscapes team and the broader partner network.   

He said: “Falmouth University is central in the creative industries and inspiration is consistently drawn from the powerful natural environment of Cornwall and the Southwest. Being part of this network will provide the opportunity for our students to better understand the role of nature in so many aspects of our lives, from health, community and wellbeing, to history, heritage, business and governance, as well as understanding how the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – a central element in our teaching – are relevant in the world around us. The Cornwall National Landscape Partnership communicates a clear message on the importance of teaching, practice and research in connecting to the local community and the world at large.”  

Falmouth’s Research and Knowledge Exchange environment will also benefit from the partnership, which will create opportunities to explore issues from interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspectives drawing on the expertise across Falmouth’s research centres.

Dr Laura Hodsdon, lead of Falmouth’s Centre for Heritage, Culture & Society, said: “We hope the partnership will directly advance Falmouth’s interdisciplinary, challenge-based research agenda. The Centre’s research focus on enabling inclusive participation and ensuring all can benefit from our heritage and landscapes offers many opportunities for us to work with the Cornwall National Landscape Partnership, as well as explore related themes such as health and wellbeing through our Centre for Arts and Health”.  

Greg commented: “In my own research I am especially interested in the role of National Landscapes in promoting and enhancing sustainable business and how through the Cornwall National Landscape Partnership we can address the social and economic challenges facing Cornwall, and we currently have a live doctoral brief on that topic.” 

From a personal perspective, Greg added: “It's a real privilege for me to have been invited to sit on the Cornwall AONB Trust board and to have played a role in creating this partnership. I know this is going of be of huge benefit to both Falmouth University and Cornwall National Landscape, and for the region more broadly. I’m really looking forward to working closely with everyone involved in the coming months.”

Find out more about Cornwall National Landscape Partnership