1 minute read
Vice-Chancellor foreword
The past year has been unlike any I have ever experienced as ViceChancellor. The global pandemic has created levels of uncertainty, risk and anxiety across all parts of society and the economy the likes of which we have not seen for generations. With nearly 2.4 million students and 440,000 staff, the Higher Education sector has had to deal with significant and complex challenges over the past year.
In November last year, we launched our 10-year strategic vision – Strategic Vision 2030: A beacon of education excellence, sustainability and social justice. In the foreword, I talked about the significantly different world future generations will face. The climate crisis, technological advancements, globalisation, demographic shifts, geopolitical uncertainty and resource shortages will have a major impact on how we work, connect, go about our lives and care for our planet. The future of Higher Education will be subject to much change and uncertainty, from constant shifts in policy to increasing marketisation and global competition.
The strategic vision intentionally covers a 10-year period to look beyond the immediate challenges and opportunities in any given year and sets out a vision of how we will be an institution that makes a difference, making our own contribution for the future of our planet and all life. In March, together with the rest of the UK, the University went into lockdown and all teaching moved online. Everything changed. We have been extremely proud of the way our staff embraced that change and continue to deliver for our students. We are equally proud of the way our students were determined to make the best of this challenging time.
But there can be no denying it has been difficult. Our staff and students are precious to us and their wellbeing – both physical and mental – has really been impacted this year.
This Integrated Annual Report is testament to the quality, passion and dedication of our staff. It highlights the range and excellence of teaching and research across this institution, together with the commitment to sustainability and social justice that runs through everything we do.
I hope that as we enter the next year and look further to the future, we are able to continue to see our students and staff flourish, together with the communities we work with locally and globally.
