Statement of Accounts 2020 / 21
Our commitment to student mental health and wellbeing has also continued throughout the year through our Start to Success mental health partnership in collaboration with Staffordshire University and other regional partners . Throughout the year the partnership has supported numerous campaigns to support students during the challenging circumstances posed by the pandemic , including campaigns to support student mental health and initiatives to encourage honest and open conversations to help people in crisis .
I would like to thank all of our colleagues , partners and stakeholders for their continued hard work this year and the way they have adapted to the uncertain and changing circumstances this past year has continued to present , and I look forward to working with them for another year .
Professor Trevor McMillan
Vice-Chancellor , Keele University
Our partners , researchers , clinical trials staff and world-class facilities have also continued to aid the fight against Covid-19 on a variety of fronts throughout the year . Cobra Biologics has played an instrumental role in the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines around the world by manufacturing the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine at its facility on our Science and Innovation Park , with many of our Medicine academics who work as GPs even administering the same vaccine in their local surgeries in North Staffordshire . Our clinical trials unit has also played a crucial role in several high-profile studies looking at testing for and treating Covid-19 , including the REACT-2 study led by Imperial College London , and trials of the Novavax vaccine alongside our partners from Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust .
As we look ahead to the new academic year , a return to face-to-face teaching and providing a safe on campus experience for students is at the heart of our preparations . We ’ re excited to welcome students back to campus to resume their studies , and everyone at Keele is working hard to make sure our students ’ time here is fulfilling , exciting , and worthwhile , but most of all ensuring that it is safe , with all of the benefits that our campus community has to offer . But we are also mindful of the lessons that we ’ ve learned over the past 18 months about how increased connectivity and online options can actually enhance and supplement our student experience and will work to ensure that our students ’ education is the best it can be however they choose to learn .
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