We very much hope that you feel you belong in the AUDE community, and that you will join us at Prifysgol Caerdydd | Cardiff University (28 Ebrill - 1 Mai | 28 April - 1 May) for the Cynhadledd flynyddol Cymdeithas Cyfarwyddwyr Ystadau Prifysgolion (AUDE) 2025 | AUDE Annual Conference 2025.
‘Cynefin’ is a Welsh language word with no direct English translation. It might be said to have multiple meanings, including ideas around habitat but also home, community and belonging. ‘A place where we feel we belong’ – a special place – and in Cardiff we’ll be exploring some of those ideas as they relate to our work in university estates. Placemaking – the creation of campuses that are unique and which help thriving communities to grow. Universities as vital places in their locality, with deep ties to local industry and civic society, and champions of regional excellence even as they strive for international recognition. Campuses supporting distinct communities of learning that are tuned into the geography and nature of the places they serve, and committed to protecting those unique environments. Campuses that change and develop for the future of their universities but also support their local communities and have a place in the local environment. Institutions deeply engaged in promoting the sense of belonging and connection that supports the wellbeing of students and staff: happy, healthy and even homely environments that work for everyone, and focused on enhancing the experience of every student as they learn. AUDE and its members as a community of practitioners that are dedicated to their own learning every day, able to bring the best of the old and traditional ways into the fast-changing world of the new.
Cardiff is of course the capital city of Wales, with roots going back to the Roman era and beyond. As with many of our industrial cities it grew to ever greater prominence and success in the 18th and 19th centuries. Made wealthy by Welsh coal coming down from the valleys to the city, and by trading ships leaving the famous Tiger Bay docks on routes right around the world, Cardiff became the most important coal port on earth. Once known also for steel production, the city region remains a significant driver of the Welsh economy, providing 20% of the national GDP. Our hosts at Cardiff University, founded in 1883, are based in the civic heart of the city, surrounded by public buildings including ones serving the Welsh government. A second campus, integrated within the Heath Park University Hospital site, adds additional flavour to ‘the special Cardiff University place’. The university’s School of Architecture is one of the best in the country, with a long-standing specialism in sustainable building. Other research specialisms stretch from semi conductors and catalysis to digital transformation, neuroscience and net zero innovation.
The coal may have gone from the valleys, but the city remains one where community is important. Join us at Prifysgol Caerdydd | Cardiff University to think about the importance of location and making the most of your specific and unique local assets as a university. Join us to think about local procurement, and the role of your university in the whole economic ecosystem within your region. Join us to explore how the campuses of the future might look, how we integrate with the local community and environment as we make the changes we need, and how we maximise the positive impact of our actions on those around us. We’ll be thinking about the impact of hybrid and digital on our sense of place, and how to create seamless transitions between very different learning environments. We’ll consider whether the concept of ‘Cynefin’ can help us steer future development in a way that honours tradition and legacy in practice, through architectural design, community engagement, and environmental stewardship. This year’s conference will cover the wide remit that our members are considering. We’ll be in a special place thinking about making our places special. We’ll be in a welcoming place, thinking about the welcoming environments we build for our students.
We hope the cultural resonance of ‘Cynefin’ will enrich all of our conversations in Wales during the Cynhadledd flynyddol Cymdeithas Cyfarwyddwyr Ystadau Prifysgolion (AUDE) 2025 | AUDE Conference 2025. We’ll be at Prifysgol Caerdydd | Cardiff University from (28 Ebrill - 1 Mai | 28 April - 1 May), and we hope you’ll join us for #AUDE25. We know that times are tight, and budgets stretched. But we believe that the AUDE Conference is the sector conference. If there is only one opportunity in a year to be informed in detail on many subjects, to connect with suppliers and catch up with colleagues, then make it this one. Buying a ticket is about investing to save. There is real operational benefit to be had from three days of conference learning, and that will pay for itself a hundred times over. Don’t block your own knowledge development by not attending. With travel budgets coming under scrutiny let us know if we can help by arranging car shares to help you get to Cardiff. We’d like to see you there.
