CONSTRUCTION firms are competing for the multi-million pound contract to develop a world-class business school in the region.

Durham University has unveiled plans to build a £16.5m extension to its Mill Hill Lane site, which it hopes will maintain the school’s reputation for postgraduate study.

Durham Business School’s full-time MBA course, which costs £19,500 for the current academic year, is respected by employers around the world, but the impending hike in tuition fees is prompting all universities to prove that their services continue to offer good value for money.

Durham Business School has grown significantly in recent years and is now home to more than 100 academic staff, 1,260 undergraduates and more than half of the university’s 4,000 postgraduate students.

The proposed building has been designed by the Harrogate offices of GSS Architecture and includes new seminar rooms, offices and catering facilities. There are also plans to revamp existing lecture theatres, seminar facilities, libraries and computer laboratories.

The extension would allow business school staff and students currently based at Old Elvet to come together on one purpose-built site.

Construction is planned to begin next April and take about 15 months to complete.

Professor Chris Higgins, vice-chancellor of Durham University, said: “Since 2005, the school has grown significantly and is now firmly established both in terms of its ranked position and international reputation.

“The proposed new extension to the Business School and the refurbishment of its existing facilities will allow us to maintain this progress by providing a stimulating learning, teaching and research environment which will continue to attract world-class staff and the most able students from around the globe.

“Durham University prides itself on delivering a firstclass student experience and we are investing in a number of other improvements to our estate, such as the new Palatine Centre, bringing together frontline student services, Durham Law School and the library extension.

“We have also invested in top-class sports facilities in Durham City and our Queen’s Campus in Stockton. These facilities contribute to the allround experience we offer our students, which has helped place us in the World’s Top 100 Universities and in the top 25 globally for employer reputation when it comes to the quality and demand for Durham University students.”