Teesside University 2015, the university acquired Teesside Central, adding 75 en-suite apartments to its accommodation portfolio. This accommodation is known as Central Halls. Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, or mima, is a contemporary art gallery in the centre of Middlesbrough. It is run in partnership with Teesside University. Teesside University has won seven National Teaching Fellowships. The Vice-Chancellor is Professor Paul Croney, who took up the position in May 2015 when Professor Graham Henderson retired. In April 2005, the University welcomed Lord Sawyer as its Chancellor, succeeding the University's first ever Chancellor, European Commissioner Leon Brittan. Teesside University's research is focused on
Teesside Refinery an area of considerable conservation interest and home to wildfowl and seal colonies. The terminal has received numerous Gold Medals and President’s awards from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) over the years. These awards are in recognition of the site’s occupational safety achievements acknowledging successful management of occupational health and accident prevention. On 9 November 2009, The Engineer reported that refining was to be suspended at the Teesside refinery. Petroplus CEO Jean-Paul Vettier was quoted as saying: “Given the current unfavorable market environment and capital expenditures required to maintain refinery operations at Teesside, we have decided