Venue: Aston, Birmingham, UK

Aston University

Aston University’s origins were in 1895 when the Birmingham Municipal Technical School was created on the Aston site. Aston became a University in 1966 when it received its royal charter. Today, it is a thriving public research university. It was named University of the Year in 2020 by the Guardian newspaper.

Aston’s campus is located on a green 60 acre, self-contained site in the centre of Birmingham, within 5-10 minutes’ walk of the main shopping, business and entertainment areas of the city.

Birmingham

The city of Birmingham rose to prominence during the 18th century when the hitherto sleepy village found itself at the centre of the industrial revolution, thanks to the coal and iron deposits being exploited in the neighbouring Black Country. Most of the mills and factories have long disappeared but there are still fascinating pockets of industrial heritage, including an extensive and well-maintained canal network.

The modern city is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse cities in the world and this is reflected in the wide range of places to eat and drink.

Birmingham is a centre of learning with several world-class Universities, has a thriving financial industry, a healthy tech start-up community and retains a major automotive manufacturing presence in the form of Jaguar Land Rover and MG. It is a thriving centre of arts and culture with excellent museums, art galleries, theatres, a world-class orchestra and ballet company and is the location of many films and TV productions. Notoriously, it was the home of the real-life Peaky Blinders in the 1920s. Stratford-on-Avon, home of William Shakespeare and the Royal Shakespeare Company is a short train-ride away. Aston Villa’s ground (Villa Park) is a short distance from the University.

Birmingham is very well-connected to the rest of the UK, with London, Manchester and Bristol all about 1hr and 30 minutes away by road or rail and served by frequent train services. Birmingham International Airport serves many European and world-wide destinations. Travel to Aston from the airport is an easy 10-minute train ride to New Street station and from there a 15-miniute walk to campus. By car or taxi, the airport is 20 minutes away.

Useful Links

• For a selection of accommodation options see: https://visitbirmingham.com/where-to-stay
• If you would like to stay at the conference location, see: http://www.conferenceaston.co.uk/
• For a selection of places to eat and drink see: https://www.timeout.com/birmingham/restaurants/the-best-restaurants-in-birmingham
• For a guide on how to get to Aston University see: https://www.aston.ac.uk/about/visit

Location

Rooms