Vice-Chancellor's review
Lancaster is a University solidly rooted in academic and collegiate values, and it has been a privilege to serve as the interim Vice-Chancellor.
Our strengths in research and teaching combine with our vibrant, diverse community, international partner campuses and research collaborations to position Lancaster as a truly distinctive university. Our students continue to be at the heart of everything we do. Some of our greatest strengths include our student experience and employability reflected in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019 ranking Lancaster 3rd in the UK for graduate-level employment with 89% of Lancaster students going into professional work or further education after graduation.
Our strategy is to become truly globally significant – a leader in higher education and a university which engages locally and internationally to address the issues that concern us as a society. Over the past 12 months we have extended our reach and influence as an economic and civic anchor with renewed focus on and commitment to our region. Eden Project North in Morecambe is a tremendously exciting project for our local area and the University’s partnership with Eden plc will explore special projects in health, education, research, knowledge exchange, sustainability and the environment, engagement and outreach to enhance its impact.
We continue to explore new opportunities to extend our teaching and research links around the world and this year, Lancaster’s first campus in mainland Europe in Leipzig, Germany accepted its inaugural cohort of students. The Health Innovation Campus officially opens in 2020 - a major investment that will help improve advances in health care and significantly contribute to the regional economy.
We are still facing the uncertainty of Brexit and the recommendations of the Augar Review and what these will mean for Lancaster and the UK higher education system as a whole. There are many challenges for us as a community, not least students evaluating the merits of going to university. We will need to re-evaluate every aspect of our activities while holding true to our core values of scholarly excellence, inclusivity and diversity.
Lancaster will welcome its new Vice-Chancellor Professor Andy Schofield in May and I look forward to Lancaster’s continued success.
Professor Steve Bradley
Interim Vice-Chancellor