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Season's Greetings from the Principal

As we approach the Christmas break, I would like to wish you the very best for the festive season and to thank you for all your hard work, especially in looking after our students, over the year.

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2023 has been dominated by events across the world. The events in the Middle East, Ukraine and elsewhere have affected all our community, with some losing friends, colleagues and family members and living in fear and grief about what might happen next. Queen Mary University is, and has always been, an inclusive community that comes together to support each other through difficult times. We need to hold on to that precious sense of community now more than ever and support each other through these difficult times. Do reach out for help if you need it: there are some links at the bottom of this message.

As a University, 2023 has been incredibly busy, and while we live in uncertain times as a UK sector, here at Queen Mary, thanks to all your hard work, we have achieved so much. We should take immense pride in the successes of our community of staff, students and alumni. As our end of year video illustrates, there are so many things to celebrate, including:

  • A record-breaking year for research awards, totalling £172.9m, highlighting our excellent performance in a competitive funding environment;
  • The launch of our latest multidisciplinary Institute, PHURI, the Precision Healthcare University Research Institute. Based within our East End community, PHURI has already made impactful discoveries, such as the genetic causes of Raynaud’s phenomenon;
  • Another strong result in the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF), with Queen Mary placed in the top category for Public and Community Engagement, IP and Commercialisation and Working with the Public and Third Sector;
  • The launch of the London Economic and Social Impact Report which found that in 2021/22, Queen Mary contributed a total of £4.4bn to the UK economy, supporting 13,865 jobs, and that every pound we spend generates nearly seven pounds in the wider economy – particularly important at a time when the value of universities is coming under ever greater scrutiny;
  • Our first ever Founders’ Day, celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Queen Mary University. The Founders’ day events gave us the opportunity to celebrate the past, connect and reconnect with friends and alumni, and celebrate the work of two notable alumni through the awarding of honorary degrees;
  • Showcasing the influential work of our academics to the world at COP28, engaging with global leaders to drive policy change relating to climate change.

Finally, in breaking news, it was fantastic to find out this morning that our Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry have received the Athena Swan gold award in recognition of their commitment to gender equality. Congratulations to all involved.

I’m confident that 2024 will bring ever more successes for the University and our community, as we work together and with partners across the world. I also know that after everything we have achieved everyone is tired and needs a break. So, do please have a wonderful holiday, and I look forward to welcoming you back in the new year.

Best wishes,

Colin

 

 

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