A £20 million building for law and management students has had its grand opening at the University of York.

The building for the York Law School and York Management School is one of four major academic buildings in the first phase of the university’s £750 million campus extension at Heslington East, one of the biggest capital developments in UK higher education in recent years.

As well as a variety of modern study areas, the building boasts a lecture theatre in the round, styled on the Harvard Business School teaching model, and court to help simulate legal proceedings for students.

It was opened by York graduate Caroline Thomson, chief operating officer of the BBC.

Vice-chancellor Brian Cantor said: “The new building housing the York Law School and York Management School is a physical expression of our determination to foster the highest standards of academic excellence.

“It will provide an intellectually stimulating environment for interactions between the university, researchers, students and business, helping us deliver a world-class student experience.”

On Thursday, the Department of Theatre, Film and Television is due to be opened by Denise O’Donoghue, the managing director of ITV Studios, and on July 22 the Ron Cooke Hub will be officially opened.