Vision 2028
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Vision 2028
What is Vision 2028?
Vision 2028 is our ambitious 10-year strategy to reshape the face of education through collaborative initiatives alongside industry partners. As the economy rapidly shifts towards a digital future, we are nurturing the next wave of digital professionals, entrepreneurs, and researchers.
Our mission remains to foster inclusive pathways to career readiness for students of all backgrounds whilst driving positive change and measurable impact through our research, global partnerships, and innovative educational models. We’ve forged strategic partnerships with industry giants like AWS, Microsoft, and Siemens to ensure our students are primed for success.
Vision 2028 progress
We are halfway through our ambitious 10-year strategy, Vision 2028, to reinvent the University and redefine Higher Education’s role in society.
Our mission is to empower students for successful future careers, equipping them with skills valued by employers, fostering connections, and providing unwavering support in collaboration with industry partners.
We are diversifying talent in all industries and cultivating an inclusive environment where students thrive and contribute to a dynamic, rapidly evolving workforce throughout the world.
We've accomplished a lot, but it's just the beginning. Join us as we reflect on our journey and broader impact five years into our 10-year strategy.
To shape a better tomorrow, universities can't stick to the status quo. We must harness our influence as community catalysts and innovation engines to drive positive change. UEL's Vision 2028 strategy aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a collective global effort to create a fairer, more sustainable world. These goals are integrated throughout our strategy and impact initiatives, with clear frameworks highlighting their relevance to specific areas.
I encourage other universities, and indeed businesses, to draw inspiration from the urban sustainability work that UEL and Siemens are pioneering. Their approach to achieve net zero on UEL campuses by 2030, develop a unique Living Lab for realtime and real-world teaching and research, and create new future-focused degrees, is fast becoming an example of how to combine with an industry partner to achieve a goal of global importance.
Sadiq Khan
Mayor of London
Vision 2028 Progress & impact
We have made tremendous progress over the past four years on achieving the priorities outlined above through clear strategies and frameworks. While our success speaks volumes beyond numbers, our remarkable progress is unmistakably reflected in the statistics.
The University of East London has been pioneering futures since 1898, from the 2nd Industrial Revolution through to where we are now, the 4th. We are a careers-led university. Our mission is to prepare you for the jobs of the future."
Professor Amanda J. Broderick
Vice-Chancellor & President
We believe that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not
Our commitment to inclusive education is more than just a corporate strapline. For over 125 years, diversity and inclusion have been central to our mission and more than a corporate strapline. We continue to work tirelessly to expand access to higher education with a focus on attracting students from Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) backgrounds, mature learners, and those from economically deprived households.
Inclusive education
The Office for Institutional Equity (OIE) strategically implements equity initiatives throughout the University, focusing on areas like the Degree Awarding Gap. Currently at 8.8%, the gap between White and Black student degree outcomes has reached its lowest point in recent years, thanks to dedicated resources and expertise.
Read more about The Office for Institutional Equity.
- UEL has academic partnerships with institutions in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, attracting 17,818 students to study as part of its transnational education programmes.
- Over half of UEL’s UK undergraduate students are the first in their family to attend university.
- Almost half of UEL’s students are mature learners and 75% of UK students come from the most deprived 40% of English households.
Careers first
We have been working hard on achieving our careers-first mission to prepare students for the challenges of a 5.0 economy, by forging innovative collaborations with industry to bridge skill and innovation gaps like never before.
- UEL works with over 2,500 active employer partners, an increase of more than 830% since 2018.
- 85% of students reported that the skills and experience they developed through the Mental Wealth and Professional Fitness curriculum were useful to their future careers.
- In the last three years, over 500 on-campus graduates have secured graduate employment with companies in the Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2023.
The University has invested further in our local area and is playing a vital role in building up Newham for the future. Its new partnership with Newham Council on the Stratford Youth Zone, for example, seeks to unlock untapped potential in the wider area as a vibrant hub for creative arts and culture, driving arts sector innovation with the community voice at its heart.”
The Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms MP for East Ham Chair of the House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee.
Our new brand
As part of our Vision 2028 strategic plan, we worked with staff, students, alumni, partners and other stakeholders to articulate who we are and what we have to offer. We worked with our stakeholders to come up with a new visual identity that reflects both our heritage and our relevance in the modern world.
Strategic objectives
Future life
Maximising mental wealth
The world of work is changing and so are our degrees. We are developing professional fitness to accelerate employment readiness for a 4.0 economy.
Read more about our Professional Fitness and Mental Wealth initiative programme.
Future professional
Employer-led careers zones
We are proud to announce ground-breaking collaborations with world-leading companies to drive graduate-level careers and fulfil rewarding life goals.
Read more about career zone.
Innovation pioneers
Innovation pioneers
Our academics are pioneers of new thinking that impact people and the planet. Their knowledge advances practice, policy and well-being in every community we serve.
Find out more about how we teach.
Sustainability
Education 4.0
The University of East London is dedicated to tackling the global climate crisis and leading sustainability efforts across our core activities. This commitment extends to our estate planning, campus operations, teaching, research, and partnerships.
Learn more about our sustainability initiatives.
Cross cutting institutional priorities
Sustainable 5.0 economy
Welcome to the '5.0 economy,' the next industrial revolution focusing on digital skills and sustainability. Prioritising this across our strategies ensures our students are ready for the future.
Social justice
Equality, diversity, and inclusion are woven into everything we do. From expanding access to higher education to socially responsible procurement, social justice drives our purpose and actions.
Health gain and wellness
We're committed to breaking barriers. By addressing health inequalities, we empower communities to thrive. This focus enhances every aspect of our work, from learning outcomes to workplace wellness.
Glocal connected campus
Proudly rooted in East London for 125 years, we've grown into a global hub. With 160+ nationalities on campus, we bridge local and global. Our glocal strategy boosts local opportunities and global partnerships simultaneously.
Celebrating 125 years of the University of East London
Part of the Vision 2028 strategy included celebrating a milestone for our institution and highlighting the impact we’ve had on the local community and the wider world.
To explore our impact and deep dive into the core of our brand we collaborated with Luke Gray, a former student, to create an interactive mural at our Docklands Campus that reflects our core values.
Luke is an exceptional surrealist street artist who blends traditional painting techniques with augmented reality and incorporates diverse textures and designs into his art.