Welcome
Professor Lisa Roberts FRSB FRSA, President and Vice-Chancellor.
Welcome to your latest Alumni Magazine.
This edition features some fantastic stories from the past 12 months, including how our University is celebrating women in STEM subjects; the excellent work our research teams are doing to diagnose cancer sooner; and the opening of our new Multifaith Centre on the Streatham Campus.
We have had an extraordinary year, and there is much to celebrate as our University marks the 70th anniversary of its Royal Charter. Such a moment reminds us of our purpose, and our strategic mission to change the world through our greener, healthier and fairer themes.
Our research is doing just that. In October, we launched our ‘Parliamentarians’ Guide to Climate Change’ in the House of Commons, to help political leaders make informed decisions that deliver Net Zero goals and stimulate clean economic growth. This guide now sits on the desk of every British MP and diplomat mission around the world, and has been translated into several languages.
We were also thrilled that in June, our University was ranked tenth in the world for our commitment to addressing the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings. Furthermore, we retained our top spot globally for commitment towards Clean Water and Sanitation, a truly fantastic achievement.
As we drive towards a low carbon future, we were thrilled to launch a new ‘Critical Minerals Accelerating the Green Economy Centre’ on our Penryn Campus, with £4.5 million of government funding. Building on the work of our Camborne School of Mines, experts will explore the sustainable extraction of minerals in our region, whilst potentially creating more than 2,000 jobs.
Top 10 in the world for our progress towards delivering the UN SDGs in the 2024 THE Impact Rankings.
More than 90% of our research has internationally excellent impact*.
*Our research impact profile in REF2021 was 93.6% of 4* + 3*.
Top 15: in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025, and in the Complete University Guide 2025.
In our quest for a healthier future, this year we took the lead in an externally-funded £10 million Cancer Data-Driven Detection programme, which will develop models to accurately predict who is likely to develop cancer, using powerful AI tools.
Our European Centre for Environment and Human Health also received £10 million of UKRI funding to establish the ‘Centre for Net Positive Health and Climate Solutions’, so we can find answers to the health impacts of climate change, in areas such as heatstroke, the link between pollution and heart disease, and the likelihood of new pandemics arising from environmental breakdown.
As we seek to create a fairer society, this year Exeter researchers have been exploring the aftermath of global health emergencies in the UK, Sierra Leone, Brazil and China. The project, entitled ‘After the End’, is rethinking responses to health crises, so we can find out who gets left behind and what gets lost, when emergencies such as Covid-19 or Ebola come to an end.
Exeter is a global institution, with ambitious goals that extend around the world. Earlier this year we announced a transformative partnership with Ain Shams University in Cairo, which will see us become the first Russell Group university to set up a teaching presence in Africa. By doing this, we will offer globally accredited degree programmes in Cairo, preparing students for key sectors in Egypt and across the continent.
Our partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, is also breaking new ground in sport, fitness and rehabilitation, and together we are exploring new educational initiatives, and working with industry to meet the needs of the sporting sector.
As we look ahead, we cannot ignore that our sector is facing uncertain times. The home tuition fee continues to fall in real terms, and inflationary pressures continue to bite, so our University must continue finding ways to become more financially sustainable, whilst still providing a top-class learning experience and conducting world-changing research.
We’re leading the world in Clean Water and amongst the very best globally for Climate Action, Life Below Water and Responsible Consumption and Production*.
*Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2024.
Exeter graduates in the top 10 for most targeted by leading UK employers*.
*The Graduate Market in 2024 report by High Fliers Research.
We achieved the Athena Swan Silver Award for the advancement of gender equality and a Bronze Race Equality Charter Mark for our commitment to race equality.
Financial pressures, and the ongoing cost of living, also impact our students. Research has shown that the average student in the UK lives below the poverty line, with one in five considering dropping out of university for financial reasons. We have a duty to tackle this issue and ensure every student can thrive, but the current financial environment makes this very challenging.
There is no easy way to fix this, but together we can find solutions. Our ‘Success For All Fund’ enables students to live the full University of Exeter experience, and with the help and generosity of our alumni and other friends, in the last 12 months we have eased the financial pressures of more than 1,700 students. If you feel able to make a donation to this fund, it really would make an enormous and lasting difference to our talented students.
Over the last year, I have been privileged to meet many wonderful members of our alumni community at events across the world, including Sydney, New York, Malaysia, Singapore and China. We are so proud of our alumni, and it is always wonderful to meet friends, supporters and advocates, hear your brilliant stories, and share the progress of your University.
I hope I can meet many more of you at one of our global events over the next 12 months, but in the meantime, I hope you enjoy catching up on the latest news from Exeter.
Best wishes,
Professor Lisa Roberts FRSB FRSA
President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Exeter
