A message from Professor Amanda Broderick, vice-chancellor and president
A message from Professor Amanda Broderick, vice-chancellor and president
As we move decisively into the second half of Vision 2028, the University of East London finds itself at a pivotal juncture in our journey. The transformational groundwork we have laid over the past six years is yielding visible and, in many cases, remarkable results. Our achievements are gaining recognition on the national and international stage.
The progress made thus far is a testament to the University-wide commitment to deliver on the promises of our 10-year strategic plan. In September, The Times & The Sunday Times recognised UEL as University of the Year for Teaching Quality in their Good University Guide 2025. This followed becoming the highest ranked, most improved university - now 9th in London - in the Guardian University Guide 2025. Both accolades built on the strength of our sector-leading results in the National Student Survey (NSS) 2024. Our students remain our first and most important stakeholder and our satisfaction rates are a wonderful recognition of the dedication of our staff, with UEL being placed 1st in London, 1st in England, and 3rd in the UK for graduates' overall positivity.
For 126 years, UEL has been an anchor institution within east London, but we now have global reach, with a vibrant and diverse student population. In the last six years our student body has grown by 120 per cent and we currently enrol almost 40,000 students, comprised of 160 nationalities. Our international communities continue to extend. We rank second among UK institutions for our Indian population (HESA); and through strategic partnerships across Europe and Asia, notably with Metropolitan College in Greece, UEL has become the largest Transnational Education (TNE) provider in Europe.
A cornerstone of Vision 2028 is our careers-first approach and resolute commitment to diversifying the talent pipeline. We have made great strides in building robust industry partnerships and we now boast over 2,500 active employer partners, expanding our collaborations across multiple sectors. These partnerships have shaped a practical, industry aligned curriculum that provides students with hands-on experience, including simulated workplaces. Sector- leading innovators such as the award-winning Mental Wealth and Professional Fitness and Diversity of Thought programmes continue to open career pathways for our students and equip them with the social, emotional, physical, and cultural intelligence needed to ensure our graduates are not only academically excellent but also prepared for the evolving demands of the global job market.
Our focus on entrepreneurship - unlocking the drive and talent of our diverse student body - has led to UEL now being ranked 4th in the UK for student start-ups and joint 3rd for social enterprises (HESA). This commitment is reflected in the 580 per cent increase in graduate startups between 2018 and 2023.
The success of this approach, as well as our inclusion practices and sustainability efforts, is evident. In 2023 and 2024, our University won or was shortlisted for more than 75 awards and recognitions. This includes multiple shortlisting over the last two years at the prestigious Times Higher Education Awards, including for University of the Year in 2023. At the University of East London, we are not just transforming ourselves - we are shaping the future of the university sector, driven by radical ambition and a deep commitment to our students, staff, alumni and partners. Yet our work is also driven by our commitment to inclusion. I am very proud that in this year UEL became one of only three institutions in the UK to hold both a Silver Race Equality Charter and Silver Athena Swan Award for gender equality. This underscores the success of our approach to creating an inclusive and equitable environment. Additionally, our pioneering Office for Institutional Equity continues to play a key role in driving this vision, helping us to reduce our degree awarding gap between White and Black students to 8.8 per cent and narrow our gender pay gap to a statistically negligible level.
Throughout 2024 we marked our Year of Science, with a series of events recognising the role of science in creating a greener, fairer, and healthier world. This culminated in hosting the British Science Festival in September, bringing the Festival back to London after 24 years. The event attracted thousands of visitors to our Docklands and Stratford campuses, to participate in interactive exhibitions, lectures and demonstrations.
With UEL academics playing a lead role, we showcased how our University’s research in areas such as health, sustainability and disruptive technologies is positively impacting our local and global communities. Looking ahead, 2025 will be UEL’s Year of Health, as we further develop a roadmap to tackle health inequalities, working closely with public health partners. We want to offer the resource and momentum to help support health practitioners at a time of immense pressure on UK healthcare, and effectively address the most important determinants of health.
As a first step on this journey, earlier this year we launched our Stratford Health Campus - a dedicated campus to enhance healthcare education and to bring together medical care, training, research, innovation, and outreach. The new Campus, which is part of our multi-million-pound Connected Campus investment programme, was formally launched at a ceremony with London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz OBE. The ceremony also marked the creation of the One East London Network, bringing together anchor institutions in support of the shared goal of improved public health, and the inauguration of the first cohort of UEL Honorary Health Fellows, GPs and public health experts from across the region.
Our charitable purpose of tackling inequalities also underpins our ongoing commitment to sustainability. We are on track to achieve net zero carbon by 2030, thanks to our sector-leading collaboration with Siemens which is creating a global blueprint for urban sustainability. Through this, we have reduced energy consumption and CO2 emissions more than any other modern university in London. The launch of our Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability in December 2023 was a key milestone in further embedding sustainability in everything UEL does, with a commitment to support cutting-edge research, green enterprise, and underrepresented communities.
As we celebrate our successes, it is important to recognise the significant financial and structural challenges the UK higher education sector is operating in. With a strong financial foundation and a proven track record of navigating difficult circumstances, UEL is well-positioned to withstand these pressures. In addition to our consistent student growth, we hold no debt and have moved from an institution at risk of insolvency to annually contributing £814million to the UK economy.
Our University’s remarkable progress over the past six years is a testament to the dedication, resilience and ingenuity of our entire community. As we look forward to the new year, we remain committed to ensuring that we are financially resilient and that we prioritise continuing improvement in our teaching and learning to both enhance the student experience and ensure our graduates can thrive post-graduation. It is through this commitment and drive that we will deliver on our mission to become the UK’s foremost careers-first university, enhancing lives, enriching futures and contributing to a 5.0 advanced economy that is healthier, greener, and fairer.
With best wishes, Professor Amanda J Broderick
BA (Hons) PhD DipM DipMRS PGCTL FRSA MBGS FCIM PFHEA
Vice-Chancellor & President
