Review of the year and financial statements 2019/20 2 | REVIEW OF THE YEAR Contents The Council of the University .....................................3 Highlights of the year ...................................................4 Foreword .........................................................................6 Financial highlights .......................................................7 Strategy 2026 ................................................................8 Education ....................................................................... 10 Research and impact .................................................. 12 Professional services .................................................. 14 Regional impact ........................................................... 16 International outlook.................................................. 20 Building lifelong relationships ................................. 24 Public benefit ............................................................... 26 Financial review .......................................................... 30 Key performance indicators ..................................... 34 Risk management ....................................................... 36 Equal opportunities and ethical investment and reserves policy .............................. 40 Corporate governance .............................................. 42 Independent auditor’s report to the Council of the University of Liverpool .................. 48 Annual financial statements .....................................57 Notes to the accounts ............................................... 62 THE COUNCIL OF THE UNIVERSITY | 3 The Council of the University The key committees of the Council are: 1. Audit Committee 2. Nominations Committee 3. Planning & Resources Committee 4. Remuneration Committee Names Membership of key committees Ex Officio Members The Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Janet Beer, BA, MA, PhD 2, 3 The Chief Operating Officer Mrs Jenny Tucker, BSc, DipBS (until 31 October 2019) 3 The Senior Professional Services Representative with Responsibility for People and Infrastructure* Dr Carol Costello, MA, EdD, FCIPD (from 1 November 2019) 3 Two of the Pro-Vice-Chancellors Professor Gavin Brown, BSc, PhD 3 Professor Anthony Hollander, BSc, PhD 3 The President of the Guild of Students Mr Adnan Hussain, BA 2 Twelve Lay Members (including the President and Vice-President) appointed by the Council Ms Cilla Ankrah-Lucas, CQSW Mrs Carmel Booth, BA, FCA (Vice-President from 1 August 2019, President from 1 August 2020) 1 (until 31 July 2020), 2, 3 (from 1 August 2020), 4 Mr Sam Butler, BA, PgDip, MSc (until 1 May 2020) 2, 3 The Earl of Derby, DL (President until 31 July 2020) 2, 3, 4 Mr Ed Fishwick, BA Dr Paul Johnson, BSc, PhD (Vice-President from 1 August 2020) 2 (from 1 August 2020), 3, 4 Mrs Helen Miller, BA, CIPD 3, 4 Mr Norman Molyneux MA, FCMA 2, 3 Dr Roger Platt, BSc, PhD, MA, PhD 1 Dr Andrew Scott, MA, DPhil (until 31 July 2020) 1 Mr Hans van Mourik Broekman, MA Dr Diana Walford, CBE, MA, MD, BSc, MSc, FRCP, FRCPath, FFPH 1 (from 1 August 2020) Three members of the Senate, two appointed by the Council on the recommendation of the Nominations Committee and one elected from and by Senate’s elected membership Professor Julia Balogun, BSc, PhD, MBA Professor Bruce Gibson, MA, DPhil (until 31 July 2020) 2 Professor Hazel Scott, MBChB, MD, FRCP, PFHEA Professor Thomas Teubner, Dr. rer. nat. (from 18 September 2020) One member of the Professional Services staff appointed by the Council on the recommendation of the Nominations Committee Mr Kieran O’Sullivan, BA Clerk to Council Dr Alison Fairclough, BSc, PhD (until 7 October 2019) Mr Kevan Ryan, BA, CPE, LPC (from 15 October 2019) Council members are the University’s Charitable Trustees. *This amendment to Council’s constitution is subject to Privy Council approval. 4 | REVIEW OF THE YEAR HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR Our final year medical and nursing students volunteered to work on the frontline and help the NHS tackle the COVID-19 crisis. Our infectious disease researchers have been at the forefront of tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, with work underway to understand how the virus spreads, how The University announced the name of its new £22 million teaching and performance outbreaks can be controlled and how different facility - the Yoko Ono Lennon Centre. Set to open in late 2021, it will house the parts of the population are affected. Tung Auditorium, a 400-seat state-of-the-art performance space. The COVID-19 emergency response campaign raised £500,000 in six Professor Dame Sally Davies, UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance, helped launch an months to support students facing ambitious new programme of AMR research at the Centre of Excellence in Infectious Diseases hardship and fund vital research. Research – a partnership between the University and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR | 5 The University has signed up to Advance HE’s Race Equality Charter with the explicit goal of Our researchers have built an intelligent mobile robot scientist that can work 24-7, carrying out eliminating any racial disparities for staff and experiments by itself. The robot scientist, the first of its kind, has already discovered a new catalyst. students and achieving race equity on campus. The University has extended its sustainability commitments by announcing the full divestment from fossil fuels achieved by 31 July 2020, committing to the United Nations’ A new £35 million ‘live-learn’ facility for the University of Liverpool International College Sustainable Development Goals and launching has opened, providing state-of-the-art teaching and residential accommodation for the Climate Futures research challenge. those studying with Kaplan for entry into the University’s degree programmes. The new University of Liverpool Maths School opened its doors to its first students. The third specialist mathematics school in the UK and the first in the North of England, it offers 16–19 year olds the opportunity to study an A new Culture at Home web hub was developed in partnership with Liverpool City Council with innovative and challenging A level curriculum. fascinating apps, blogs and activities to keep people connected to cultural assets during lockdown. 6 | FOREWORD 2019/20 has been an academic year like entertain themselves and their families no other, as the effects of the COVID-19 during lockdown. pandemic make themselves felt in Equally, as a University renowned for our all our activities, both nationally and strength in infectious diseases research internationally. It is true to say, however, – as marked by the celebration of the that whenever this University, in its long next phase of our Centre of Excellence history, has faced a challenge like this in Infectious Diseases Research in early one, our shared values as a community, 2020 – academic colleagues have been expressed, above all, through the at the heart of research into how the virus monumental efforts of our students and spreads, how outbreaks can be controlled, staff, are what get us through. how it affects different parts of the We have had to change much about the population and much more. way we do things. We were one of the This collegiate, caring and communal first universities to move the majority of response is mirrored in other important our campus-based activities to distance areas of our activity. In our sustainability learning. Teaching, assessment and work, for example, we have made support services have continued to be important institutional commitments, such available, and our academics have been as full divestment from fossil fuels achieved at the forefront of COVID related research. by 31 July 2020, and signing up to the We can look ahead to the new year United Nations’ Sustainable Development knowing that we have done all we can to Goals accord. We have also launched a ensure the safe arrival of students and new research challenge – Climate Futures assure their continued health and safety - to explore, understand and address the once they are studying with us. climate and ecological crisis. The pandemic has highlighted the Devastating events in the USA in strength of our civic commitments. Staff 2020, and the deep-seated issues of and students across the University came discrimination closer to home, have together to support the local NHS – from brought into focus the work we are doing opening our car parks and providing to tackle racism and discrimination. accommodation in our halls of residence Following the Equality and Human Rights for NHS workers, to galvanising alumni Commission’s report on racial harassment donations of PPE and augmenting at universities, published in October 2019, these through on-campus 3D printing we set up a Working Group in order to of visors for medical staff. Our student build a more equitable campus. We have doctors and nurses deserve a special since initiated a programme of changes mention, demonstrating their bravery which seek to tackle racism wherever it and commitment by volunteering to help may manifest. This work is of the highest on the frontline, providing exceptional priority for the University, I am proud of care for the local community in the most the steps we have made so far, and we will difficult of circumstances. and must go even further. We were also very involved in the regional Finally, it is pleasing to see us progress response institutionally. Our Executive further in this year’s rankings, with a 29 Pro-Vice-Chancellor