As the university of business, practice and the professions, the purpose of City St George’s has always been closely connected to the real world. To educate people whose knowledge and decisions have a direct impact on others. To conduct research that informs professional practice and helps address the challenges facing society.
The relationship between scholarship and practice is at the University’s core. Good healthcare depends on research. Good engineering relies on scientific discovery. Strong public policy requires rigorous analysis. Knowledge creates the greatest value when it informs action.
The creation of City St George’s has strengthened this approach. By bringing together expertise across health, business, engineering, science, social sciences and the creative disciplines, new opportunities for collaboration, innovation and impact have been created.
But bringing people together is only the beginning.
The University’s Council has approved a refresh to the City St George’s Vision & Strategy, extended to 2035, and which includes action plans to deliver the next phase.
City St George’s President, Professor Sir Anthony Finkelstein, says: “As we shape this Strategy, we do so from a position of real strength. We have talented students, outstanding colleagues, strong professional partnerships and deep connections across London and beyond. These strengths give us an opportunity to be ambitious, collaborative and outward-looking.”
The City St George’s Vision & Strategy 2035 centres around four strategic themes which will guide the University’s work and direction through to 2035.
Strategic themes
1. We build successful and fulfilling careers and develop leaders for the world of work
We create personalised and enriching educational experiences within a diverse and connected learning community, equipping students with the skills, attributes and networks they need to thrive as future professionals, leaders and lifelong contributors to society.
2. We undertake research at the frontier of practice
We deliver impactful, practice-focused research that challenges professional boundaries, advances evidence-based thinking and redefines professions through innovation, engagement and collaboration.
3. We are the opposite of an ivory tower
We are outward-looking, ambitious and deeply connected to our communities, working in partnership to co-create solutions while drawing strength from our London location and city connections to maximise real-world impact.
4. We are a flexible, high-performing learning organisation
We foster an inclusive, supportive and high-performing culture, underpinned by accountability, social responsibility, organisational agility and financial sustainability, enabling us to deliver our mission effectively and successfully.
From strategy to action
The Higher Education sector presents a challenging environment for universities, with a highly competitive London market, demographic shift, regulatory expectations, constrained financing and rapid digital transformation.
The new Strategy Action Plan for City St George’s responds to these challenges decisively and deliberately, by leveraging London’s professional ecosystem and aligning activities in education, research, digital capability and partnerships for maximum impact.
This plan turns the University’s ambitions into a focused programme of change. Among its priorities is expanding opportunities for people to upskill and reskill throughout their careers, and a major investment in digital innovation, including the integration of AI into teaching, learning and assessment. Together, these initiatives reflect City St George’s commitment to supporting the professions of today while preparing students and employers for the professions of tomorrow.
The University will also build on the strengths created by the merger through interdisciplinary health, bringing together expertise from medicine, health, engineering, business, law and the social sciences to tackle complex challenges and improve lives. Alongside deeper partnerships with employers, professional bodies, NHS organisations and the City of London, these actions demonstrate what it means to be the University of business, practice and the professions: connecting education, research and practice to create real-world impact.
Always learning
Running throughout the Vision & Strategy 2035 are the City St George’s values which guide the University’s behaviours, decision-making and culture: We care, We learn, We act.
The values also reflect an important principle underlying the Strategy Action Plan: that City St George’s will remain a learning organisation, using evidence, partnership and experimentation to adapt to changing circumstances while staying focused on its long-term ambitions.
Together, the strategic pillars, themes and capabilities provide a roadmap for the next decade, underpinned by three core values and ensuring City St George’s remains focused on delivering excellence, impact and opportunity for its students, staff and partners.
Professor Finkelstein says: “Every successful student, every research discovery, every innovation and every contribution we make to society is the product of talented people working together in pursuit of a shared purpose.”
This Vision & Strategy marks the next stage in City St George’s development as the University of business, practice and the professions.