2015/16 36 An introduction from the President and Vice-Chancellor he following are just a few highlights the city of Leicester. You can read more about Tfrom the last 12 months to show how the these plans in this publication. innovative work taking place at the University You can also find out more about how our of Leicester is making an impact locally, groundbreaking research is continuing to nationally and around the world. make a difference across the globe. Our As a discovery-led university, we are ever more academics are exploring new treatments focused on innovation. We are committed for neurodegenerative diseases, pioneering to making a real difference: the excellence new techniques for heart surgery, providing of our research, teaching and enterprise is evidence for the existence of a new geological transforming people’s lives. epoch and much more. This year I was proud to unveil a new Strategic We remain committed to ensuring that we Plan for our future. Our ambition is to create offer a fantastic student experience, invest a university that represents a distinctive elite in state-of-the-art facilities and develop a 29 in the higher education sector. By being stimulating learning environment for all. We more adventurous, more ambitious and take great pride in the achievements of all of more insistent on the value of our distinctive our staff and students and are delighted to qualities, we will have an even greater impact share in some of their successes here. upon global scholarship and education. In 2015/16 has been a momentous year in so every area, we are already developing bold many ways and I hope that in the next academic initiatives that put our University at the year we can continue to celebrate even more of forefront of change. our achievements in research and in developing The plans have included launching one of the our students. most flexible degree curriculums in the UK, and the creation of a digital campus. We also have ambitions to establish the National Space Park, which will be a home to world-class space and earth observation scientists, and will play a Professor Paul Boyle crucial role in attracting high-tech companies to President and Vice-Chancellor 2 UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER Contents A proud history 4 2015/16 achievements 5 30 Discovery-led research 6 Discovery-led learning 16 Discovery-enabling culture 26 Discovery-enabling environment 34 Awards and recognition 42 Degree celebrations 44 At a glance 2015/16 46 13 ANNUAL REVIEW 3 A proud history nvisaged as a living memorial to the its Royal Charter, and has since then had the Elocal men who lost their lives in the First status of a University with the right to award its World War, the endowment for a University own degrees. College for Leicestershire – later to become Nearly 100 years later, the University continues the University of Leicester – was established on to honour those who served and died in the Armistice Day in 1918. Great War. Our motto Ut Vitam Habeant – ‘so Set up by local Leicester resident, Dr Astley that they may have life’ – stands on every Clarke, along with fellow doctor Frederick degree certificate we issue as a permanent Bennett and other friends, the University was reminder of the War and our origins. born out of a voluntary commitment for a At Leicester we believe high quality people’s university. Donations flooded in from research and excellent teaching are not only individuals, local societies and companies, and complementary; they are inseparable. We are by January 1920, more than £100,000 had been constantly finding new ways of being a leading pledged – the equivalent of £16 million today. university, and have done so ever since we Local cloth manufacturer Thomas Fielding were founded as Leicestershire and Rutland Johnson purchased the Leicestershire and University College in 1921. Rutland Lunatic Asylum, which had been used From WG Hoskins’s seminal analysis of English as a base hospital during the War, and gifted it history through place and people, to John to Leicester Council to set up a new University Swales’s definitive medical tome on the causes College and Grammar School. The old asylum and treatment of high blood pressure; from the building – the first University College building – first British degree in Mass Communication, was named in honour of Mr Fielding Johnson’s to the invention of genetic fingerprinting; generosity and now stands as the University’s from figurative sociology, to super-massive central administration building. black holes; the University has contributed and Students were first admitted to the College continues to contribute to an extraordinary in 1921. In 1957, the College was granted range of fields. 4 UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER 2015/16 achievements of universities in the world. The University of Leicester is a leading university committed to international % excellence through the creation of world-changing research and high 1TOP quality, inspirational teaching of our students are in study or full- %* time employment within six months 93.8 *DLHE 2016 of graduating of our students are satisfied with their experience % according to the National 88 Student Survey for preparing our students for work according to the st Association of Graduate Recruiters, for the second 1 year in a row value of philanthropic £3.6m funds raised universities in the UK according to The Times/ Sunday Times Good IN THE TOP 25 University Guide 2016/17 ANNUAL REVIEW 5 6 UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER We deliver world-class research, changing the way we think about the past, present and future. Discovery is about imaginative new thinking, underpinning fundamental advances in our understanding of the world around us, helping us to apply our expertise to business and community needs, and delivering solutions to global challenges. ANNUAL REVIEW 7 DISCOVERY-LED RESEARCH A multidisciplinary future for research New research institutes build on LISCB established research strengths. Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology he discovery and identification of King LISCB will bring together established strengths in Richard III has shown that we have a structural biology, chemical biology and single- strong track record of multidisciplinary T molecule research. The new Institute will take working. Following this successful model, advantage of synergies in research technologies the University has launched four new and approaches to deliver major advances in both interdisciplinary research institutes which fundamental and translational research. will enable us to build on this approach, acting as beacons of excellence across areas Professor John Schwabe of our Department of strength. of Molecular and Cell Biology is the Director of LISCB which will strengthen cross-college The institutes will focus on our established interactions. As well as embracing new cutting- research strengths in the following areas: edge technologies and novel chemical biology • Cultural and Media Economies approaches, the Institute will maximise future • Structural and Chemical Biology success and impact. The Institute will also CAMEo reinforce and enhance the visibility of Leicester • Space and Earth Observation Science Research Institute for Cultural and in this area and build upon our national and • Precision Medicine Media Economies international reputation for excellence in “Our commitment to discovery is structural and chemical biology. The focus of CAMEo is to provide new about imaginative new thinking and understandings of the cultural industries, the Learn more: www.le.ac.uk/liscb understanding of the world around us,” ‘creative economy’, the arts and media, cultural explains President and Vice-Chancellor, policy, consumer culture dynamics, and the Professor Paul Boyle CBE. mediation and representation of cultural and “These new institutes will bring a renewed economic life. focus on our strengths and will bring Together with a wide range of partners, led by together colleagues from across the Professor Mark Banks of our School of Media, University to grapple with fundamental Communication and Sociology, CAMEo explores questions that arise at the intersection of the diverse and complex ways in which cultural different disciplines. They will drive our global and media economies are being defined, valued, research excellence and will be a key part of enacted, experienced and represented. our commitment to pioneer a distinctive elite of research-intensive institutions.” Learn more: www.le.ac.uk/cameo 8 UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER DISCOVERY-LED RESEARCH LISEO Leicester Institute for Space and Earth Observation LISEO will bring all of our space research and related activities under a single Institute, focusing on space and earth observation missions, instruments, and the exploitation of these. To be located on the planned National Space Park, LISEO is led by Professor Martin Barstow, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Strategic Science Projects. The Institute will be situated alongside a range of industrial partners to develop new approaches to innovation in space research and make a major contribution to economic growth, particularly in the space applications landscape. The timely creation of LISEO will also support the Government’s aspirations for the space sector, having recently identified space as one of the eight great technologies and a cross-cutting enabler of growth. Learn more: www.le.ac.uk/liseo National Space Park We unveiled ambitious plans earlier this year to develop a National Space Park LPMI to boost innovation, growth, jobs, skills and training in the sector. Leicester Precision Medicine Institute Working with local, national and international partners, our aim is for the National Space Park to be recognised internationally as the go-to hub for space Future treatment of human disease will and space-enabled data industries, and for excellence in relevant skills training. increasingly move from a ‘one size fits all’ approach to one of tailoring the treatment to At its heart will be a centre for space research, education and training, a the individual patient.