NEWS On Monday 18 January, the café Mitum, run by Umeå Student Union of Science and Technology (NTK), holds its grand opening. Moving the café to the central open atrium area is a first step for the new interactive focus environment planned for completion at the end of the spring.
“This café is the only student run café on campus: by students, for students,” declares Olov Tingström, Chairman of the Student Union Board at NTK.
– Kaféet är idag det enda studentdrivna på campus: Av studenter för studenter, berättar Olov Tingström, kårordförande, NTK.
The new focus environment will open up space at the main entrance of the MIT Building where the café was previously situated. This will make up one of the new university’s interactive focus environments focusing on mathematics, statistics and IT – all of which are areas that unite most programmes and research in the building as well as overlaps several faculties.
“The area will become a general meeting place for the entire building where students, researchers and other internal and external partners can meet and take part in joint activities,” says Mats Johansson, coordinator of the MIT Building environment.
Collaboration between education, research and the surrounding society will be broadcasted and initiated through the focus environment. Some of the things mentioned and that are of benefit to the students in the MIT Building is the opportunity to show off their degree projects through various kinds of exhibits and by positioning lab work in the environment, such as a Virtuality Lab, open lectures and a flexible study environment where a stage can be built if required.
“An important factor of success for the café, focus environment and the development of the entire building is, and has throughout the process been, the very successful collaboration between researchers, educationalists, the Building Office, Akademiska hus and the students,” says Anders Fällström, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University and Chair of the steering group for the interactive focus environments.
NTK is also very pleased about the new opportunities that the new café provides.
“We have hired a chef to prepare food from scratch; more homemade pastries, smoothies and salads will be available. It will be exciting to see how the focus environment takes shape and how both environments can be integrated,” says Olov Tingström.
Date: Monday 18 JanuaryTime: 15:00
Place: Mitum, the MIT Building
Speaches, canapés and mingle. The event is open to the public.
For the whole day, an opening offer is available and a competition to participate in. Swing by and enjoy!
Organiser: Akademiska Hus, Umeå University and NTK
www.ntk.umu.se/mitum
New interactive environment coming to MIT Building (2014-12-17)
New investment in interactive focus environments (2015-12-18)
Anders Fällström, Pro-Vice-ChancellorPhone: +46 90-786 66 28
Email: anders.fallstrom@umu.se
Olov Tingström, Chairman of the Student Union Board at NTKPhone: +46 70-606 62 76
Email: ordforande@ntk.umu.se
Mats Johansson, coordinator for the MIT Building environmentPhone: +46 90-786 62 89
Email: mats.v.johansson@umu.se
Ellen Skånberg, architect and coordinator of the interactive focus environmentsPhone: +46 70-345 35 62
Email: ellen.skanberg@umu.se
Photo credit: Ulrika Bergfors Kriström
Editor: Anna Lawrence