Welcome from Professor Mary Stiasny OBE

As we begin the new calendar year, I am delighted to share with you the latest edition of your University of London Newsletter for members of the former Convocation.

In this issue, we bring you news and highlights from the central University, we hear from some members of our Convocation community, and we report on the impact of philanthropic support from alumni and friends, including those who give through the Convocation Trust.

The year 2020 was an especially difficult year for many in our global community, and our thoughts are with all those who continue to experience the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these challenges, the University of London has much on which to reflect positively. As a pioneer in flexible learning for over 160 years, we are uniquely positioned to have been able to support our community during this time of disruption. As well as continuing to provide our students with worldwide access to education, we also supported some of our Member Institutions by extending our digital and cloud-based services to enable the swift move of their teaching and learning resources online. Thanks to the support of colleagues around the University, we were also able to respond rapidly and effectively to redesign assessment and examinations for our distance-learning students, as well as for our other programmes in the School of Advanced Study and the University of London Institute in Paris.

Through our new five-year strategy Transforming Education…Creating Futures, the University will continue play an innovative role in the sector, constantly adapting to foster learning and research at the very highest academic levels, and forging a path for a world-class university in a modern, global community. Vice-Chancellor Professor Wendy Thomson CBE shares more about the new strategy, and her vision for the future, on page four of this Newsletter.

Thank you for your continued involvement and support as a member of the former Convocation.

With all best wishes for the year ahead.

Professor Mary Stiasny OBE

Pro Vice-Chancellor (International, Learning and Teaching), Chief Executive, University of London Worldwide, and a member of the former Convocation.