Dear colleagues, 

We start the new academic year with the wonderful wave of energy that comes from the arrival of our students and a fresh run of high rankings and awards. 

Imperial has been ranked in the world top 10 by Times Higher Education, complementing our top 10 position in the QS World University Rankings. We have also received Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework, strong National Student Survey (NSS) results, and high positions in the Sunday Times, Guardian and Daily Mail rankings.

Rankings are just one measure of quality and will never drive our institutional strategy, but there is evidence they influence the choices people make, from students to funders to partners. 

These results reflect your talent and commitment, and our outstanding teaching, research and impact.  

lmperial’s star keeps rising and it is a credit to you all. 

The partnership between our staff and students is fundamental to our success as an institution and this was the main topic of last Wednesday’s In conversation with the President event, the first of this academic year.  

Thank you to Camille Boutrolle (Imperial College Union President) and Professor Peter Haynes (Vice-Provost, Education and Student Experience) who spoke about education, the student experience, and the partnership between Imperial and the students' union. Thank you also to our consul Professor Miriam Moffat for moderating our discussion, and to all of you who were able to join for your insightful questions on assessment and feedback, bursaries, and the Imperial Experience project. If you weren’t able to attend, please do watch the recording online if you can.  

Peter and Camille also spoke about our excellent National Student Survey (NSS) results, which were released in August, and how this feedback will help us make further improvements to the student experience across Imperial. 

We all have a part to play in making Imperial the best possible environment for the whole of our community and the best environment to achieve our mission. Our new institutional strategy will enshrine how we protect and enhance this work.  

During the consultation process on our institutional strategy, many of you expressed your tremendous pride in Imperial's achievements. But you also consistently urged that we tell the Imperial story with more clarity and promote Imperial with more confidence.  

The Imperial Brand Project responds to this. Our starting point is that Imperial is a fantastic institution and efforts to protect, promote and strengthen our brand should deliver multiple benefits, from student recruitment, to attracting new partners and funding, to our general reputation and ranking.   

The initial focus is on our verbal and visual identity, and we have begun a period of engagement with our whole community on the initial creative work that is being developed, which runs until 13 October. Please do get involved and share your feedback. All the details are online.  

The goal is a brand identity that reflects and serves the entire Imperial community so your input is essential.  

Our next In conversation with the President event is in October when we will dedicate the time to a discussion about operational, including HR, issues. I hope you will be able to join this session and encourage you to submit questions in advance as well as live on the day.  

Finally, I would like to say congratulations again to all our academic and learning and teaching staff who have been promoted. This is the culmination of years of hard work and achievement and I hope you have been able to take some time to celebrate with your friends, family and colleagues.  

There is lots to be proud of as we begin this academic year and I want to say a huge congratulations to our community on all these achievements. 

Best wishes, 
Hugh