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Our Vision and Strategy
We exist for the public benefit to advance education, learning and research. Our Vision is to build on this core purpose to address global problems through excellence in education, research and engagement and, in doing so, provide new knowledge and creative solutions that make a positive impact on the society we serve. Our Vision expresses our collective sense of purpose and our aim to work collaboratively to shape brighter futures, grow the economy and champion social and environmental justice.
The University Strategy, developed in 2018 and refreshed in 2022, provides a high-level vision that is based around our core and aspirational values and guiding principles. The strategy is underpinned by four strategic plans, setting out specific aims and initiatives. The strategic plans are regularly reviewed and refreshed, taking account of key changes in the external environment and the progress we have made with the implementation of our plans.
CORE VALUES
EQUALITY DIVERSITY INCLUSION
SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
ACADEMIC FREEDOM
VISION
NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY
We are a world-leading university, advancing knowledge, providing creative solutions and solving global problems
ASPIRATIONAL VALUES
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
EXCELLENCE
CREATIVITY
IMPACT WORKING TOGETHER
VISIBLY LEADING
FREEDOM AND OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED
STRATEGIES
ENGAGEMENT AND PLACE
EDUCATION FOR LIFE
RESEARCH FOR DISCOVERY AND IMPACT
GLOBAL
RESPONDING TO CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES
Core and aspirational values
Newcastle University is known for its longstanding commitments to equality, diversity, inclusion, respect, and environmental and social justice. Our Vision builds on these core values and identifies three aspirational values that inform everything we do, and which guide us as we develop and grow as an institution.
Excellence | Enabling our colleagues to realise their twin ambitions of providing an outstanding educational experience for our students while also leading the way globally in their areas of research expertise.
Creativity | Being creative and innovative to advance knowledge and engage with society to address global problems.
Impact | Working in partnership with governments, industry, the creative and cultural sector, and community groups to identify the current and future challenges faced by society and to provide innovative ideas and solutions that make a difference.
Guiding principles
Our guiding principles have been identified from the key characteristics of our high-performing academic and professional units. They underpin the objectives of each of our core strategies.
Working together | Our aim is to be recognised for effective partnership working; this refers to working together internally – colleagues and students, academic and professional colleagues, across and between disciplinary boundaries and faculties – and externally with our various stakeholders.
Visibly leading | We are recognised globally for a number of strengths including Ageing and Health, One Planet, Data, Cities, and Culture and Creative Arts. In all of our activities our aim is to promote and support these existing strengths while facilitating the development of emerging areas of world-leading education and research.
Freedom and opportunity to succeed | Our people, colleagues and students – past, present and future – are at the heart of our strategy. Our aim is to support their ambitions and allow them to reach their full potential by providing them with environments and opportunities that inspire excellence, creativity and impact.
Responding to current and future challenges | Our priorities in both education and research will respond more proactively to the demand side of the knowledge economy and be guided by the societal challenges facing the world now and in the future.
Core strategies
Underpinning our Vision, we have four interconnected strategies. These cover our core functions of education and research, and the contexts in which we work to improve the economy, health and social wellbeing and cultural richness of the places in which we operate, and to influence globally. Education for Life | Engaging, challenging and supporting students to discover and fulfil their potential.
Research for Discovery and Impact | Catalysing transformative research within and between disciplines.
Engagement and Place | Improving the economy, health and social wellbeing and cultural richness of the places in which we operate.
Global | Being a globally inclusive institution.
Our Vision and Strategy (continued)
Looking forward, during the 2021–22 academic year Executive Board, Senate and Council agreed on a refreshed set of strategic priorities based on our 2018 Vision and Strategy. These strategic implementation priorities are being translated into strategic plans across all three faculties tailored to their particular circumstances and give us a clear way forward for the next three to five years aimed at realising our Vision.
Strategy implementation priorities 2022
A values-led world-leading university, advancing knowledge, providing creative solutions and solving global problems
Culture Devolving agency Enabling values-led behaviours and ambition Freeing time and stopping things
Student education experience at the centre of our planning
Sustainable research-based education
Building digital capabilities that enable flexible provision Inclusive economic growth Engagement and Place
Lifelong learning and skills Policy impact
Education for Life Research for Discovery and Impact
Global student mobility
(inwards & outwards) Global research profile
Global Sustainable SE Asia Hub Research power
Research intensivity
Research culture
In the strategic and operational review (pages 18–35), we describe the progress that has been made in 2021–22 against each of our core strategies as well as our university-wide enabling plans. We summarise our progress overall for specific key indicators using a traffic light rating system.
Measuring progress
Good – progressing well against our objectives Satisfactory – broadly on track but some issues to address
Medium risk – some material issues and risks to address
High risk – serious concerns
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