University of Essex

We are committed to addressing under-representation where it exists, celebrating the diversity of our students and staff, nurturing communities of belonging in which all are accepted without exception, promoting inclusion, well-being, resilience and , promoting inclusion, well-being, resilience and empowerment to enable everyone to reach their full potential as well as supporting and encouraging Academic Freedom of Speech within the law. Sir Albert's plans were seen as so ground-breaking that he was asked to give the BBC's prestigious Reith Lectures in 1963, the year before we opened. The flagship lectures were a chance to explain how Essex was going to break the mould and challenge expectations about what a university could be. Sir Albert told listeners "radical innovation" would be at the heart of Essex's approach to research and education. You can still listen to one of Sir Albert Sloman’s lectures in the BBC’s Reith Lectures Archive and you can read them online too. Essex’s architecture was designed to link social and educational space to encourage a sense of community. ‘Brutalist’ buildings such as the Albert Sloman Library and The Hexagon, created by architect Kenneth Capon, have now become iconic. Capon said he didn’t want his designs to be 'shaggy and soft' so aimed to create 'something fierce to let them work within’. Something Fierce became the title of a major exhibition about the foundation of the University of Essex and 50 years of student life. The impact of the exhibition has continued with elements integrated into the Royal Academy of Arts exhibition Futures Found: The Real and Imagined Cityscapes of Post-war Britain. In 1964, 122 students arrived at our University for the very first academic year, attracted by its bold vision. Over the next five decades close to 100,000 students from more than 140 countries have graduated, and inspired by the inquisitive and ambitious Essex Spirit, they have gone on to make a difference in the world. We have a proud tradition of encouraging students to challenge convention and think differently, such as our graduate, Nobel Prize winner and economist Professor Chris Pissarides. We’re a university where curiosity prevails, and where exploring new ways of thinking and pushing boundaries, isn’t just encouraged, it’s expected. We are determined to do things differently and put student success at the centre of everything we do. We're committed to two things: excellence in teaching and excellence in research. We put student success at the heart of our mission, supporting every student from every background to achieve outstanding outcomes; preparing our students to thrive in their future lives. Our determination to make a difference in society means we’re ranked 58th in the global Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024, which ranked more than 1,400 universities around the world. Making an impact through our research is at the heart of our University. We're in the UK top 10 for research quality in four subjects (Grade Point Average, REF2021) and in the UK top 10 for research power in five subjects (Times Higher Education 2022). Find out more about our REF2021 performance. We are open about our aims and how we want to achieve them. Our strategy sets out our ambitions for 2028. On these pages you'll find more on our plans, our finance, our senior team and how we work. ...view more