Annual Review 2014 6th £70m Climbing up the league tables Signed up for 5G No other university has achieved Surrey has risen in all three league tables for UK A consortium of key global players has pledged support universities, moving from eighth to sixth place in The of £58 million for our 5G Innovation Centre programme such a dramatic transformation in fortunes Guardian league table 2015, our highest ever ranking. We in addition to the £11.6 million awarded by the Higher in the past five years. climbed to eleventh position in The Times/Sunday Times Education Funding Council for England from the UK Good University Guide and achieved twelfth place in The Research Partnership Investment Fund. The group Complete University Guide 2015. consists of some of the world’s leading mobile network operators, infrastructure and tools providers, media and We jumped two places to ninth in The Times Higher Education communications organisations as well as our regional Table of Tables 2015. The prestigious league table is based on partner, EM3 LEP. The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2015 the combined results of the UK’s three main university league tables: The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide; The Due to open in spring 2015, the 5GIC is located on the Guardian and The Complete University Guide. University’s Guildford campus and will be home to over 150 researchers and 100 PhD students. 1st 4th Graduate employability Student satisfaction New figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency Surrey has been ranked fourth for Student Satisfaction in (HESA) reveal that the University of Surrey is ranked in The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2015. first place for graduate employability when compared with chartered universities in England. The fourth position is an average based on the University’s performance in seven key areas of the National Student The figures reveal that 97 per cent of Surrey’s 2013 Survey (NSS): Teaching; Assessment & Feedback; Academic graduates were in work (or further education) six months Support; Organisation & Management; Learning Resources; after they graduated – up 4.2 per cent from the previous Personal Development and Overall Satisfaction. year. These figures demonstrate the University’s focus on graduate employability and the success of Professional In the 2014 NSS, the University was ranked eighth out of Training placements. 135 institutions achieving an overall satisfaction rating of 91 per cent. Front cover: Dr Alexis Bailey and PhD student Aya Osman, currently researching the effect of milk casein on emotional behaviour. Annual Review | 2014 An overview of 2013/2014 from the Vice-Chancellor An overview of 2014 from the Vice-Chancellor The Annual Review is my opportunity to say thank you to all our staff, students and partners in the UK and abroad for a very successful year. Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, Professor Sir Christopher M. Snowden and success have no meaning. President and Vice-Chancellor Benjamin Franklin Scientist, statesman, writer and diplomat The University has made significant investments in its to demonstrate their talents to employers. This has growth and progress over recent years with a focus on underpinned our continuing record as one of the leading excellence. As a result, 2014 has seen one of our best UK universities for graduate employment with 97 per years academically here at Surrey. cent of our graduates in employment six months after leaving us – the highest level in English universities. We reached our highest rankings in the three main national league tables and in the National Student Our students are being taught, supported and inspired Survey, ranking sixth in The Guardian league table by some of the best minds from around the world. and ninth in The Times Higher Education Table of This year, we have continued to make a considerable Tables 2015. We attracted a wealth of highly talented investment in the quality and number of our academic applicants and achieved record growth in student staff, helping to shape our status as a leading university. numbers, with October 2014 seeing the University’s outstanding training environment for our students, as Together with the University’s wholly-owned Research largest ever undergraduate intake whilst maintaining We have world-leading academics who are forming well as for practising veterinary surgeons, veterinary Park and its tenants, Surrey already stimulates over a 6th our high entry standards. important partnerships and working closely with £1bn+ nurses, para-professionals and clinical scientists. billion pounds of economic activity annually in the international industry and commerce to create regional economy. We believe our future plans will This is testament to our efforts to create a learning new thinking and practical solutions to some of Collaboration with key partners has been fundamental further strengthen the prosperity of the region. IN THE GUARDIAN REGIONAL environment which focuses on the needs of our students. the challenges we face in today’s society such as in establishing Surrey’s £70 million 5G Innovation Centre LEAGUE TABLE ECONOMIC Since the first students passed through our doors in 1891, communications, CO2 emissions, health and wellbeing, programme. Construction of the building is nearing The 2014 Annual Review showcases what has been a 2015 we have been giving them a competitive edge for the energy supplies, cyber security and sustainable tourism. ACTIVITY completion with thanks to the initial funding from the year rich in improvement, achievement, and success future: enabling them to not only succeed academically STIMULATED Government. With support from a consortium of mobile for Surrey, especially set against the highly competitive but to develop much valued skills and real experience. Our new £45m School of Veterinary Medicine is ANNUALLY network operators and organisations, the first research environment and funding challenges facing being built around the theme of One Health, One BY SURREY programme of its kind in the world will spearhead the universities today. Through our pioneering Professional Training Medicine. The new School will be delivered through development of mobile communications networks, programme, our students undertake high quality alliances with an extensive network of partners in address the concerns of rising levels of data traffic and Professor Sir Christopher M. Snowden FRS, FREng paid work experience placements enabling them clinical practice, research and industry to provide an bring momentum to this vital area of economic growth. President and Vice-Chancellor 2 surrey.ac.uk University of Surrey 3 Annual Review | 2014 Contents Contents 6 GLOBAL CONNECTIONS 14 HEALTH 48 SURREY MEANS BUSINESS 60 PEOPLE Global research impact .................................... 8 Discovering the secrets of sleep ............................ 16 Research and Enterprise Support........................... 50 The student experience .................................. 62 Surrey on the world stage ................................ 10 Leading the fight against tuberculosis ...................... 18 Surrey Research Park..................................... 52 Inspiring academics...................................... 68 The University Global Partnership Network .................. 12 Unravelling TB’s metabolic secrets.......................... 19 Surrey Incubation ....................................... 56 Our alumni / Celebrating success ........................... 72 Mobile technology in medicine ............................ 20 Surrey Business School ................................... 58 Honorary graduates / Vice-Chancellor’s Award winners ........ 74 Contributing to better vaccine information across Europe ...... 22 Sports Review 2014 ...................................... 76 Conquering Chiari malformation in toy dog breeds ........... 24 26 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 38 SOCIETY 78 PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE 84 FINANCIAL REVIEW Could elastic bands monitor patients’ breathing? ............. 28 Wearable EEG research: whole University becomes New School of Veterinary Medicine......................... 80 Continuing progress towards longer term goals .............. 84 a neuroscience laboratory ................................ 40 Surrey Centre for Cyber Security launched ................... 30 Surrey partners with National Physical Laboratory............. 81 Financial review......................................... 86 Can narcissists feel empathy?.............................. 42 Servicing spacecraft and clearing space debris ................ 32 Sustainability on campus ................................. 82 Independent auditor’s statement to the University of Surrey .... 88 Psychology research sheds light on reasons for New sensor could light the way for low-cost imaging .......... 34 obesity-drug failure ..................................... 43 A life remembered — Professor Anthony Kelly ............... 83 Investigating poor water quality in African slums ............. 36 Lack of accessible tourism costing economy billions ........... 44 Research identifies amino acid’s power to fight Politicians must be tougher to meet transport strokes and heart failure ................................. 37 emissions targets........................................ 46 4 surrey.ac.uk University of Surrey 5 GLOBAL CONNECTIONS Internationalisation permeates all that we do at Surrey and contributes significantly to realising the University’s mission to solve global