Dear Students,

Welcome to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s new academic year! The arrival of students brings a wonderful wave of energy and excitement. Whether you are a first year or returning student, I hope you are settling into life as part of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s inspiring, vibrant and diverse community.

This time of year holds promise and potential and I urge you to make the most of it – not just through your studies, but also the many extracurricular events, experiences, and activities on offer. If you’re wondering where to start, please take a look at our monthly student newsletter – Inside 51³Ô¹ÏÍø – which includes news and event updates plus the latest student resources and support services.

We begin the year with a fresh run of high rankings and awards. 51³Ô¹ÏÍø has been ranked in the world top 10 by Times Higher Education, complementing our top 10 position in the QS World University Rankings, and received Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) and strong National Student Survey (NSS) results. These successes are a testament to the quality of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s education, research, enterprise and engagement activities and a credit to our entire community.

I have one request and that is to get involved in the work we’re doing on the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø brand. The consultation process on our institutional strategy revealed tremendous pride in 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's achievements. However, we were consistently urged to tell the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø story with more clarity and confidence. The 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Brand Project responds to this and should deliver multiple benefits, from helping attract the best talent, funding and partners, to our general reputation and ranking. We are now running a period of engagement with our whole community until 13 October. Please get involved and share your feedback.

Finally, a brilliant example of showcasing the best of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø and something we can all get behind. September saw the start of this year’s University Challenge, the iconic TV quiz tournament which pits teams of university students across the UK against each other. Our team – Sourajit Debnath, Adam Jones, Justin Lee and captain Suraiya Haddad – delivered a decisive win in their first match, . I was hugely impressed by their mastery of such a wide range of subject areas. Congratulations to the team – we will be following your progress through the months!

I wish you a happy and fulfilling start to the academic year and look forward to seeing you around our campuses during the year ahead.

Best wishes,
Hugh