Keele University
Introduction from the Vice-Chancellor
Keele continues to be recognised for our outstanding education , research expertise , and contributions to the community and wider region .
Keele continues to be recognised for our outstanding education , research expertise , and contributions to the community and wider region .
As the academic year 2020 / 21 began , the world continued to adjust to the effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic , and Keele University ’ s staff and students once again showed their resolve , commitment and adaptability by quickly adopting new ways of working , which allowed them to continue learning , teaching and carrying out vital research . I wrote last year about my pride in our staff and students all rising to the challenges posed by the pandemic , providing their resources , knowledge , and expertise to aid in the local , national and international fight against the virus , and I ’ m pleased to say that this spirit and community-facing outlook shown by the Keele Community has continued throughout the entire year . This has meant that despite the ongoing challenges and disruption caused by the pandemic , we have thrived as a university and not only have much to celebrate this year , but to look forward to in 2021 / 22 .
We began the year with an excellent ranking in the Guardian University Guide 2021 , placing in the Top 10 in England for Student Satisfaction with Course . Four of our subjects also achieved Top 10 in England status , with Physiotherapy and Radiography both ranking 2nd in England , and Medicine placing 4th behind only Oxford , Cambridge and Brighton Sussex Medical School . This excellent performance was mirrored in other prestigious rankings throughout the year , including an impressive performance for many of our subjects in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings , and most recently with Keele ranking among the Top 10 for Student Satisfaction ( broad-based English public institutions ) in the National Student Survey 2021 .
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Our recruitment intake of home undergraduate students for this academic year was once again increased from previous years , with 2,600 students joining us , highlighting the continued appeal of the student experience we offer here at Keele and showing the good reputation we hold in a very competitive market . This intake for 2020 / 21 was a modest increase of 1 % compared to the 2019 / 20 cohort , which is an excellent performance given the challenging climate in higher education posed by the pandemic .
Our research continued to make headlines around the world , with new research funding also reaching new heights . The estimated research income to Keele on grants starting in 2020 / 21 is £ 24.5m .
This year we continued to embed and promote sustainability across all our operations through our Root and Branch campaign , and our world-leading reputation for sustainability was highlighted when we won the Global Sustainability Institution of the Year Award at the 2020 International Green Gown Awards , just three months after winning the same title at the UK and Ireland awards . We also moved forward with our ambitious pledge to be carbon neutral by 2030 as construction began on our Low Carbon Energy Generation project , which will see 12,500 solar panels and two wind turbines built on campus , providing up to 50 % of our on-campus electricity . Our pioneering research and expertise in sustainability was also praised by Lord Callanan , the Minister for Climate Change , on a visit to campus this year , who commented on the potential for our ground-breaking work to be rolled out nationally and globally .
Our work with local and regional partners has continued to hit new heights this year and will be an important focus for us going forward as the region recovers from the economic effects of Covid-19 . To aid this process we were pleased to launch Keele Deal Recovery alongside our partners , which builds on the University ’ s strong and diverse history of local collaborations , setting out significant commitments that will aid and strengthen local recovery following Covid-19 .
Construction has also begun this year on our latest Innovation Centre , which has partnership working and collaboration at its heart . IC7 will be the home of our new Digital Society Institute , which will use technology and the latest advances in data science and analysis , to give local and regional companies an edge in a competitive and dynamic business environment .
As well as looking outwards to our partners , our focus remains on providing a quality experience for our students and investing in the facilities , programmes and initiatives we can offer that give them a solid foundation for their future during their time at Keele . Our partnership working group with the Students Union and Keele Postgraduate Association has provided a crucial resource for supporting our students this year , and our productive and beneficial working relationship has been used to help our students through a difficult and uncertain period of their lives and their studies . The work between the university and the KSU in particular has had a range of benefits , including working together on “ safety net ” arrangements to make sure no students were disadvantaged due to the circumstances the pandemic put them in ; working together to implement a freeze on accommodation fees when students couldn ’ t be on campus due to the lockdown ; and collaborating to ensure hardship funds were fully utilised to support students . These are just some of the successes brought about through our close working relationship , and we look forward to continuing this partnership with the KSU and KPA going forward .
This year also saw the first cohort of the Harper and Keele Veterinary School , a joint venture between ourselves and Harper Adams , starting their studies in veterinary medicine . Construction work on the new Vet School facility on Keele ’ s campus was completed at the start of the new academic year .