University of London

City’s history

City's tradition of providing high quality education relevant to business and the professions dates back 160 years. For many of our graduates, time spent at city laid the groundwork for leadership, innovation and excellence that have changed the world we live in. 

Vision and Strategy 2030

We are the university of business, practice and the professions. 

City’s vision and strategy 2022-30 will set out a framework of priorities for us to work towards that will enable us to deliver the best experience for students, staff and alumni; ensure the world around us understands what makes city special; and will enable us to live our mission

– Professor sir anthony finkelstein, president of city
following a period of enormous change, including leadership, learning, teaching and working practices and emerging from a global pandemic, in 2021 city embarked on an ambitious journey to develop a new and distinctive vision and strategy which will guide the university’s future successes. 

A Collaborative Approach
in order to capture the voices and views of as many people from across the city community as possible, including staff, students, alumni and partners, city launched its most collaborative and consultative strategy development process to date. 

over 2,000 members of city’s community took part in the innovative stakeholder engagement programme, sharing over 13,500 ideas and contributions through a series of in-person and online staff sessions, focus groups, workshops, a student engagement day and the interactive and anonymous online platform, the big city conversation. 

these were compiled to produce the draft vision and strategy outline which was approved by city’s council in spring 2022. 

Our Strategy Headlines
through extensive analysis, the wide variety of thoughtful and insightful feedback received through the consultation enabled city to define its strategy headlines, as well as understanding what it is doing well and what could be done differently:

1. We build successful and fulfilling careers and develop leaders for the world of work

understanding, celebrating and empowering our students – the students who choose us, and whom we choose – and delivering enriching and personalised educational experiences
creating a diverse and vibrant community of learning that reaches far beyond the university and is sustained through powerful networks
providing relevant skills, attributes and approaches that enable our graduates to succeed in their future careers and life pathways.

 
2. We undertake research at the frontier of practice

fostering important, impactful and engaged research
educating professionals for whom evidence-based thinking is integral to their practice
challenging practice and redefining the professions. 

3. We are a flexible, high-performing learning organisation

building a great place to work that is inclusive, supports wellbeing and is a fun place to be
creating an accountable, socially responsible, efficient and responsive organisation that can deliver this strategy
operating a robust and sustainable financial margin that ensures we have the space to achieve our mission. 

4. We are open and outward-facing

comfortable with partnership and happy with co-creation – the opposite of an ivory tower
ambitious, innovative and risk-taking – not afraid to be different
embedded in london, a world capital and proud of our deep connections with the city of london. 

Moving from Strategy to Implementation
eight workstreams have been identified to form the details of the strategic plan including the sequencing, prioritising, interdependencies and resource requirements to deliver city’s objectives over the next eight years. 

the next seven years will see the full implementation and delivery of the vision and strategy 2030.