I am delighted to announce the launch our new international strategy, Global Glasgow 2025.
Reflective of the changing global landscape in which we operate and anchored in our institutional values of Ambition and Excellence; Curiosity and Discovery; Integrity and Truth, and an Inclusive Community, Global Glasgow 2025 is based around four priority pillars – Global Relationships, Global Research, Global Recruitment and Global Reputation – our four Rs.
Through these pillars, we will ensure that our international activities support our wider institutional vision as articulated in our University Strategy – World Changers Together, World Changing Glasgow 2025, and its three themes of Community, Connectivity and Challenges.
At the heart of this new international strategy is the power of collaboration and teamwork. The unprecedented events of the last two years have shown that as a university we flourish when we work together. Now more than ever, it is vital that we remain global in outlook and collaborative in approach. The COVID-19 pandemic, the climate emergency, the impact of Brexit, the threat of protectionism and recent events in Europe have thrown into sharp relief the importance of our international endeavours. Scientific and social solutions to the pandemic, climate change and the grand challenges of our time will require both cross-disciplinary and cross-border cooperation that harness the power of collective expertise.
Global Glasgow 2025 reflects not only our bold ambitions to be the World-Changing University, at the forefront of people’s minds when considering the world’s best universities, but also reaffirms our commitment to engage with our civic mission via our local and global communities.
Our international activities will contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and be in line with the University’s commitment to sustainability as set out in the Glasgow Green strategy, whilst also empowering and supporting our community of World-Changing students, alumni, and colleagues to make a global impact.
Success within this Strategy will mean developing and strengthening our international partnerships and networks to amplify our local and global impact and enhance the collective impact of the sector. We are committed to forming mutually beneficial and reciprocal partnerships with our international partners which are founded in trust and respect. As an institution we succeed when our partners succeed, and it is this ethos of concerted effort and the collective good that underpins Global Glasgow 2025.
None of this is possible by being inward-looking or insular. Global connectivity does, can, and will, enhance our educational offerings, our research capability, and our societal impact, creating an environment in which our colleagues, students and wider communities can thrive.
Our ambitions are bold, but as an institution with a history of paving the way, we must hold ourselves up to the highest standards, pushing ourselves to achieve the unachievable, and supporting the future generations of world changers.
Together, we are World-Changing Glasgow.
Rachel Sandison
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Engagement)