Integrated Annual Report 2019-20 1 Contents Contents Review of the year Relationships and resources Highlights of the year 4 Our People: students and colleagues 39 Introduction from the Chair of Council 6 Infrastructure 44 Conversation with the Environmental sustainability 47 VIce-Chancellor and President 8 Networks and partnerships 48 Effectiveness and The University financial sustainability 49 Overview 10 The University at a Glance 2019-20 14 Financial Review 50 Charity status and Public Benefit Statement 16 Value creation model 18 Corporate Governance 56 Materiality and risk 20 Remuneration Report 62 Strategic review Financial Statements Our Vision and Strategy 24 Independent Auditor’s Education for life 26 Report to Council 65 Research for discovery Statement of Principal and impact 30 Accounting Policies 67 Engagement and place Consolidated and for Society 33 University Statement of Comprehensive Income 72 Global 36 Consolidated and University Statement of Changes in Reserves 73 Consolidated and University Statement of Financial Position 74 Consolidated Cash Flow Statement 75 2 Integrated Annual Report 2019-20 Contents 2019-20 Integrated Annual Report Our 2019-20 Integrated Annual Report provides an overview of the University and our strategic objectives summarises our value creation model describes our key stakeholders and partnerships explains our approach to materiality and risk outlines key factors influencing performance reports on relationships and resources describes our governance structure reviews financial performance over the past year provides a view of our future prospects This year’s report is inevitably and significantly shaped by the Covid-19 pandemic and we will aim to show the impact the pandemic has had on the University during the past year and how we believe it will shape our future. We are working to be at the forefront of integrated In relation to the IIRC Framework for integrated thinking and reporting in the higher education sector. reporting, we confirm that Executive Board and Our annual report is informed by the Integrated Council have been involved in the development of this Reporting framework developed by the International Integrated Annual Report. Council acknowledges its Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC). This framework overall responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of has been adopted across the globe to make more the Report’s contents. We recognise that this report effective use of resources, improve decisions and does not yet fully comply with the IIRC Framework enhance accountability, stewardship, transparency and more work will be carried out in the coming year and trust. We use the framework to help us to develop our approach to reporting. This will be understand the strategic enablers and co- informed by external peer review arranged by the dependencies that materially affect our ability to IIRC. create value for our colleagues, students and external partners, and thereby to deliver our Vision and Strategy. 3 Review of the year Highlights of the year November 2019 The Frederick Douglass Centre, our new learning and teaching centre, is officially opened by Kenneth B Morris Jr, a direct descendant of the world-renowned activist, author and abolitionist. August 2019 Students, staff and alumni come together to celebrate a decade of teaching at our NUMed campus in Malaysia. December 2019 Newcastle expert Professor Francisco Figueiredo becomes the first in the country to provide sight- saving NHS stem cell treatment to patients. September 2019 Newcastle and Groningen universities reaffirm their long-standing partnership and commitment to climate change action. January 2020 Scottish Makar and Professor of Creative Writing Jackie Kay is awarded the CBE for services to literature. October 2019 Students get a helping paw to manage their mental health, thanks to the University’s newest recruit – Bessie, the Jack Russell. 4 Integrated Annual Report 2019-20 Review of the year May 2020 Newcastle will lead a new National Centre to support enterprise, resilience and innovation among rural firms and unlock the untapped potential of rural economies across the UK. February 2020 Blue Shield signs a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva, bringing Professor Peter Stone's ambition of preventing the destruction of cultural property during conflict a step closer. June 2020 Dr Meenakshi Choudhary, a leading fertility specialist, is a finalist in this year’s Asian Women of Achievements Awards. March 2020 Newcastle is selected to lead a national network of four cutting-edge centres to enable faster collaborative research and development of electric July 2020 machines - including cars, planes and ships. Selfless students are recognised by the city’s universities for going above and beyond to support their neighbours during lockdown. April 2020 Some 300 medical students graduate five weeks early to enable them to begin their careers as doctors and support the NHS during the unprecedented Coronavirus pandemic. 5 Review of the year Introduction from the Chair of Council As Chair of Council, it is my pleasure to present to you this report on behalf of all those who contribute to the ongoing success of Newcastle University. I would like to begin by thanking my Council colleagues, the University Executive team and the wider University community of students, staff and external partners for their outstanding levels of hard work, commitment and flexibility in navigating our way through a very complex, uncertain and turbulent year. Paul Walker Chair of Council and Pro-Chancellor Covid-19 presented higher Whilst Covid-19 has undoubtedly education with an existential crisis, had an impact upon the pace of impacting the entire range of our implementation of our strategy, we activities. It highlighted the shouldn’t lose sight of the progress importance of the inter-relationship that has been made across all of research and education in areas of the strategy. The rapid maintaining our position as the transition to delivering blended North East’s largest research learning was enabled by University. underpinning work with our Virtual Learning Environment and The fast and decisive action taken Technology Enhanced Learning by the Executive team in reaction strategy. This has been matched by to Covid-19 enabled the University developments in our physical to maintain a strong financial campus and estates, including the position and protect jobs. opening of the Frederick Douglass Colleagues rapidly transitioned Centre, a new dedicated learning from on campus and face to face to and teaching centre named after virtual, blended and online ways of the world-renowned activist, working and teaching, enabling our author and abolitionist. 2019-20 students to graduate and Overall the recruitment of our 2020-21 The pandemic has increased the Student Satisfaction intake. emphasis on the University’s 2019-20 regional role and contribution Covid-19 is not the only major responding to the challenges of the threat we have been responding to. levelling-up agenda. University National Student Survey In last year’s report I highlighted researchers across a range of three significant external disciplines were quick to respond 82% challenges facing the University; to the national challenges Covid-19 Brexit, the Philip Augar Review of presented. The University has Postgraduate Taught Post-18 Education and the financial played a key role in the North East Experience Survey sustainability of our pension Covid-19 economic response schemes. group. 82% International Student Barometer 93% Read more pages 26-29 6 Integrated Annual Report 2019-20 Review of the year We have continued to strengthen prestigious Global Challenges Kay was awarded the CBE for our position as the North East’s Research Fund Hubs. services to literature. largest research University supporting vital UK research and I am proud of the University’s Imtiaz Dharker, the renowned poet innovation. This includes further long-standing commitment to and artist, was announced as the investment in high profile National social and environmental justice new Chancellor. Professor Muzz Research and Innovation Centres and equality, diversity and Haniffa was awarded the Foulkes leading advancements on data, inclusion. Last year we were ranked Foundation Medal. ageing and Rural Enterprise. The 11th in the THE world rankings for As we move into 2020-21, my University was awarded £33m to our impact on society and priorities are to ensure that the lead the UK network of centres that leadership in sustainable University emerges from Covid-19 will deliver the Driving the Electric development. We were also one of in a stronger position, having Revolution programme that will the first universities in the UK to learned lessons from the crisis and help propel UK manufacturing to declare a climate change worked hard to put in place the forefront of global efforts to emergency and are committed to a measures to mitigate risks. We will tackle climate change. We were net zero future. We became a continue to focus on improving also awarded Academic Health member of the Race Equality student satisfaction, advancing Sciences Centre status for Charter last year and stood firmly in knowledge, growing the economy Newcastle Health Innovation support of all our colleagues and and championing social justice. Partners. students in supporting Black Lives Matter, Black History Month and Whilst our expectations of financial We have invested in future decolonising our curriculum. performance in 2020-21 as we research leaders strengthening our recover from the Covid-19 impact inter-disciplinary research portfolio. I would like to record and celebrate are lower than for a normal Two of the eight Royal Academy of the achievements and contributions operating year, the strategy, vision Engineering Chairs in Emerging of some outstanding individuals and priorities we set in 2018 remain Technologies Awards were made who have enriched our University. true. to colleagues at Newcastle Dame Teresa Graham, one of our University. We remain the only UK Council Lay Members, was institution to have won two awarded the DBE for services to small businesses.