Foreword
Foreword by Jenny Pyper, Chair of the Council.
I’m pleased to introduce Ulster University’s strategic plan - People, Place and Partnership: Delivering Sustainable Futures for All.
The University is immensely proud of both its historic roots in, and commitment to, Derry~Londonderry, Coleraine and Belfast and also its identity as a university that balances research and teaching excellence with this strong presence across Northern Ireland. People and relationships are central to our plan and we recognise that the dedication of our staff, the ambition of our students and the quality of our collaborations are key to our ongoing success and will provide the energy and innovation to catalyse this strategy.
Ulster University is recognised internationally for academic quality and student experience as well as for its socio-economic contribution and is Northern Ireland’s largest university with over 27,000 students and 2,700 staff across all our campuses. While our primary purpose is to educate and inspire learning, it is notable that the economic impact associated with our activities is estimated to be £1.3 billion annually – this corresponds to a sector-leading cost-benefit ratio of 1:7. As a multi-campus University, this impact is well distributed across the region and so continued investment in all three campuses is a priority in this plan.
Our previous five-year strategy significantly improved our research capacity and quality, enhanced our teaching and graduate performance, expanded our global partnerships, and saw our student body become increasingly diverse and internationally mobile. It sought to maximise the civic contribution of our teaching and research and this new strategic plan outlines our absolute commitment to people, our students, staff, the quality of our teaching, research and campuses, recognising that investment in people, partnerships and infrastructure will be transformative across our wide sphere of activity and influence.
The delivery of our aims will enable us to increase our impact on society and to play our part as a university which addresses both regional and global challenges. This plan builds on our commitment to create a university that is sustainable and innovative, with a strong reputation internationally. Our focus on academic excellence in teaching and research remains undiminished and our historic high point in the University league tables is a consequence of our ongoing commitment to quality enhancement in all aspects of our work.
We recognise both the enormous value of our regional footprint and the need for us to work as a balanced, unified organisation with an ongoing focus on equality, diversity and inclusion in order to achieve our goals. Sustainability is a central feature of this new strategy and encompasses everything from addressing the funding challenges facing the higher education sector to our role in addressing climate change and providing leadership in achieving sustainability goals.
On behalf of Council, our governing body, I’m proud to endorse this strategy. It charts a pathway that will significantly improve outcomes for our students, society and the economy by focusing investment on the learning and social experiences of our students and enhancing the working lives of our staff, right across Northern Ireland.
Jenny Pyper Chair of the Council