Vice-Chancellor launches new 2035 strategy

Ready for the Future: Strategy 2035 details how Solent will become the leading practice-led university in the UK within ten years. Developed in partnership with students, staff and stakeholders, the strategy builds on its award-winning foundations through three clear strands of focus.

At today’s (Thursday 6 February) briefing, the Vice Chancellor set out how the strategy provides a blueprint for staff and stakeholders to work towards, supporting students to have the freedom they need to achieve their goals.

You can read the strategy here.

Three areas of focus

With the higher education landscape ever changing, Solent’s mission is to ensure everyone, no matter their age, can achieve their potential through tailored learning whilst also meeting the needs of communities, industries and the region. The creation of a “Multiversity” drives forward intergenerational learning across the institution with the traditional 18-21 student demographic interacting with, and learning from, those with potentially varied skillsets and experiences and vice versa, supporting all to improve their knowledge and skills.

Solent's excellent city-centre location will be further utilised to benefit the local community and surrounding area. By bringing together staff and students with businesses, alumni and wider stakeholders, the university will expand collaborative activities to drive growth and innovation in the Solent region and beyond. As part of this Solent will build upon the existing range of impactful and relevant research and development already carried out by its academics. World class campus facilities will encourage inward investment into Southampton as a whole, helping to develop lasting partnerships that have a far-reaching impact.

As a city-region, Southampton has long been crucial in ensuring the UK is globally connected. Solent, through its world leading maritime education provision, is a major contributor to that success. Greater global connectivity expands knowledge and opportunities for academics, students and the wider community, and Solent's willingness to embrace technological advancements makes it easier than ever to meaningfully interact with others around the world. By embodying this connectivity and collaborative working, Solent will further its global reach, working with likeminded partners through knowledge sharing to positively impact global issues.

The strategy has been developed after considerable engagement with both internal and external stakeholders. Last year, the Vice-Chancellor's Group launched a series of consultation events alongside a green paper, which gave staff the chance to feedback on the vision and ambition of the strategy. Guest speakers were also invited onto campus to talk through key issues that would impact and influence the landscape that the strategy is set against.

Across the next three-weeks, the Vice-Chancellor's Group will be hosting a series of ‘In Conversation’ events which will give staff the chance to ask questions and share thoughts on the strategy.

Alongside the new strategy, the university is also planning to unveil a renewed civic charter, which will give local partners the opportunity to join the university in a commitment to driving forth common goals in the local community over the coming months. More details will be released as signees are confirmed for the charter.