University Strategy

John Henry Brookes, after whom our University is named, believed that everyone should have access to education. That was at the heart of how he led our predecessor institutions. And it’s why our University exists today.

We published our University Strategy 2035 in 2020, just as the Covid-19 pandemic was taking hold. The world has changed since then and this update to the Strategy 2035 reflects the changes that we have been through as a University and our new vision for the future.

The bold and ambitious 2035 Vision Statement that we developed in 2020 is now supported by a detailed articulation of who we are, as well as our undergraduate and postgraduate propositions. These outline what is important to us and the commitments we make to our students. We have been working hard to embed our new Guiding Principle of Inclusivity, through our People and Culture work, and this now sits alongside our established principles of Confidence, Enterprising Creativity, Connectedness and Generosity of Spirit. Learn more about our Guiding Principles.

This update to the strategy, including the statement of who we are, offers the opportunity to reassert our commitment to the welfare and education of our students, and to creating an environment in which we celebrate, value, and provide equality of opportunity to all.

Since 2020, we have gone further to understand the areas of innovation we need to push forward, such as our digital agenda. To reflect the commitments we are making to our students, we have also undertaken work to redefine the educational experience we offer, as well as our research priorities.

Our updated strategy sets out our focus and priorities for the next decade. We will continue to develop and evolve our delivery plans to ensure that we remain a modern, forward thinking institution which is committed to delivering access to education for all, to research that helps provide answers to the problems of today and tomorrow and to supporting our local communities.