Birmingham has been challenging and developing great minds for more than a century. Characterised by a tradition of innovation, research at the University has broken new ground, pushed forward the boundaries of knowledge and made an impact on people’s lives.
We continue this tradition today and have ambitions for a future that will embed our work and recognition of the Birmingham name on the international stage.
The University is in the midst of one of the most exciting and transformational campus redevelopments since the first phase of building on our Edgbaston campus was completed in 1909 under the auspices of Sir Aston Webb. The development projects, worth close to £500 million over a five year period, are creating outstanding new facilities which will benefit students, staff, visitors and the local community. Pioneering projects at other University sites are also ensuring that our investment is not confined to our main campus.
New library
The brand new main Library built at a cost of £60 million and described as heralding a new generation of libraries in UK higher education, is now open at the heart of the University.
New State of the Art Sport Centre
Our new, state-of-the-art sports centre will be a gateway to the University for students, staff and our local community when it opens in 2016. The £55m centre will encompass a unique raft of facilities, including Birmingham’s only 50m swimming pool, as well as a large multi-sport hall, a range of activity and fitness studios, a very extensive gym, six glass-backed squash courts and various other facilities.
Our performance in league tables and international rankings:
- The Times and Sunday Times University of the Year for Graduate Employment 2015-16
- Birmingham is 82nd in this year’s QS World University Rankings, cementing our position in the top 100 universities globally and placing us as 15th amongst UK universities
- In The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2016, Birmingham is ranked 17th out of 121 universities surveyed.
- Birmingham is ranked 15th in the Complete University Guide league table for 2017 and 27 of our academic subjects are ranked in the top 10 for their respective areas of study.
- National Student Survey showing overall satisfaction now standing at 89%
Our Fellows programmes are just some of our sector leading initiatives. These initiatives are a testament to an institution that rewards and encourages excellence in research and education, and which has, unsurprisingly, seen impressive recent league table rises.
As well as an increased grant capture, partnerships with industry and an international presence in New Delhi, Guangzhou (China), Brussels and Brazil, we are recruiting undergraduate students with the finest academic credentials in our history and applications to study here in 2015 are growing rapidly.
The University community works together to enhance further our research and educational provision. Our policy-facing activity continues to go from strength to strength with notable success led by the College of Social Sciences - such as the Public Services Academy and the establishment of Policy commissions in Local Public services, Healthy Ageing, Wealth Distribution and drone technology. We are long established as leaders in the field of Medicine, with strengths in the research and treatment of cancer, heart, and liver disease as well as infections with a global significance including TB. In the Physical Sciences we boast outstanding academic and research credentials, including Chemical Engineering where we were recognised with a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in the Jubilee year.
As the UK’s first civic (red brick) University, we have been challenging and developing great minds for more than a century. The University of Birmingham School and Sixth Form will continue this tradition, providing an outstanding academic education for Birmingham’s young people and serving as a centre of teacher education in the region.
Through our strong international presence and high levels of student satisfaction, we receive over 75,000 applications each year from students wishing to study here and welcome 24,000 successful students to the campus from 150 countries.
The University also provides itself with a number of cultural assets including:
Not only does Birmingham have serious ambition but we also have financial resources to realise those ambitions, and our plans for the future are underpinned by long established financial probity. We are large and understand the part we play in maintaining the local economy; we contribute £1 billion to our region’s economy. We also understand the importance of ensuring our institution’s future, our surpluses and substantial philanthropic support are re-invested into the intellectual and physical fabric of the institution, enabling us to plan with confidence for the future and to continue to invest in the facilities and services that are required for high- quality research, and an outstanding student learning experience.
Led by Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir David Eastwood, the University is structured for swift decision making, enabling us to capitalise on our academic range, financial strength and opportunities that emerge in the fast changing global HE environment.