Hertfordshire’s economy’

A year into her post as deputy vice chancellor at the University of Hertfordshire, Professor Mairi Watson talks to Sarah Dale about her plans to make the university “truly exceptional” and how Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce is in full support

As a female senior leader, Professor Mairi Watson, deputy vice chancellor at the University of Hertfordshire, is passionate about supporting women in leadership and within the business community.

It’s why, during her first year in the role, she’s been such an active member of the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, of which the university became a patron in

2017. She recently attended the 100th anniversary dinner for patrons and long-standing members and was also one of the speakers at the Chamber’s Women in Leadership conference.

“We have a fantastic relationship with the Chamber and I regularly experience firsthand the value of us being so aligned,” says Mairi. “In particular, they’ve played an enormous part in changing the narrative around the contribution women can make to leadership in the county. At the Women in Leadership conference, it was great to meet so many remarkable, Hertfordshire women leading across sectors including construction, education and healthcare, and within small businesses.

“We all know that women face different career challenges, which is why it’s important to talk about them and address them head on. As a senior female leader myself, I have a responsibility to support where I can. By empowering local women leaders, we are powering Hertfordshire’s economy.”

As well as working closely with the Chamber of Commerce, the university has an important partnership with Hertfordshire County Council called the Hertfordshire County Council and Hertfordshire University Partnership Board, which works to develop mutually beneficial, strategic actions. Mairi is also on the Board of Hertfordshire Futures, the new name for the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

“The University of Hertfordshire has a strong identity as leaders in enterprise and these valuable partnerships with the County Council and the Chamber are crucial to maintaining this as we progress our enterprise activity.

“The Chamber has been particularly great at supporting our young entrepreneurs. The Dean of our business school is on the Chamber’s board and having that direct link has helped us to link local employers to our students, which we know makes them more likely to secure employment on graduation. Our head of apprenticeships also works closely with the Chamber, which has helped us to increase our number of apprenticeships.”

The University of Hertfordshire’s excellence in enterprise was recognised at the highest level last year when they were awarded a 2024 King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

“That was a real high point,” says Mairi. “This remarkable commendation for our international recruitment recognised its benefits to both the university and wider county.”

On of the largest universities in the country, Herts is also one of the largest employers in the county with a significant local economic impact. While confident about its future growth, continued financial sustainability – like every university, and in fact business, across the country –is its greatest challenge.

“It is going to be a tough year, but we are in a good position,” confirms Mairi. “Unlike most universities, our international recruitment has not seen a significant drop. We currently have around 18,000 students from over 110 countries, and just under 35,000 students in total. It’s a testament to the quality of education we provide and the attractiveness of Hertfordshire as a place to live and study.

“It’s fair to say the last Government had a very challenging view of universities and international students. However, this Government has been clear about the need to bring greater stability to the higher education sector. While, unfortunately, the much-needed uplift on student fees will only balance out the new national insurance burden, we were pleased to see them also increase students’ maintenance loans, as we know our students often worry more about the cost of living than the cost of studying.”

With a 10-year campus transformation in progress, that will include the opening of the county’s first medical school in 2026, and the recent opening of Spectra, the university’s new state-of-the-art School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, the university is committed to making big investment in its facilities to enhance the student and staff experience.

“The new Spectra building is a great example of the high-tech, teaching, learning and research facilities we want to become known for,” says Mairi. “Our second biggest school after our business school, it is a key area of teaching and research for us and contributes significantly to Hertfordshire’s key priorities in engineering and computer science.

“We are also thrilled to have been able to bring forward the opening of our new medical school to 2026 following the phenomenal input, feedback and encouragement from our local and regional NHS partners. It’s a very exciting time for Herts!”

Mairi’s focus for 2025 will be delivering a fresh strategy to “drive a new sense of ambition” for the university.

“For a long time, the University of Hertfordshire has been a solid performer, but we have not fulfilled our full potential yet. I want to drive the energy and ambition for us to go further faster and be truly exceptional.

“Herts Beats Faster is our strapline. As we launch our new strategic plan this month, this first year will be focused on accelerating that improvement in performance so we can keep topping the league tables and continue to be a university Hertfordshire is proud of.”

University of Hertfordshire has a strong identity as leaders in enterprise and these valuable partnerships with the County Council and the Chamber are crucial to maintaining this as we look to develop and progress our enterprise activity.