Our strategy is to become truly globally significant – a leader in higher education and a university which engages locally and internationally to add to knowledge and address the issues that concern society. Over the past 12 months we have extended our reach and influence through the exceptional work of our staff and students.

For the first time in our history we have secured top ten places in all three of the national university leagues tables. This reflects our rising reputation amongst the UK’s elite universities.

We continue to explore new opportunities to extend our teaching and research links around the world. The first students have taken up their places at Lancaster University College at Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU) China.

We have completed the acquisition of land for the development of a pioneering new campus that will drive innovation in healthcare. An independent assessment suggests the project will have a significant economic impact, ultimately creating up to 2000 jobs and representing a £100M boost to the regional economy. Amongst its first challenges, the Health Innovation Campus will respond to a pressing need to tackle issues linked to ageing; widely considered to be one of the biggest social and economic challenges of our time.

We were delighted to be in the first wave of the Science and Innovation Audits laying the foundations for new science and innovation collaborations that will put the region in the vanguard of developing and exploiting new innovations to ensure it can sustain and grow the Northern advanced manufacturing industries. This puts Lancashire and Sheffield, in partnership, at the centre of the Northern Powerhouse.

Our students continue to be at the heart of everything we do. Some of our greatest strengths include overall student satisfaction and employment. Following the vote to leave the EU, I have assured all our current and future students and our staff – whatever their background – that Lancaster is a welcoming community that includes people from 142 countries, and this will not change.

Professor Mark E. Smith

Vice-Chancellor