Year In Review: Celebrating UCL's global impact in 2024
18 December 2024
Discover the top global stories and news from UCL Global Engagement and the wider UCL community over the past year.
Throughout 2024, at UCL, our academic and student communities have been collaborating across borders and boundaries, working with partners worldwide to co-create fair solutions to pressing challenges.
And as London’s Global University, we have marked several defining moments that underscore our commitment to internationalisation.
Here, we reflect on the top global stories of 2024 from UCL Global Engagement and the wider UCL community.
Professor Kazuya Saito (IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education & Society) has been announced as one of 25 young academics to receive the 20th Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Prize, recognising him as a future leader of scientific research
The Reach Alliance, a global network of top universities, published its latest UCL-led research report, calling for play to be a key priority when supporting the needs of children in temporary accommodation.
UCL Global Engagement co-hosted a panel discussion and networking reception on the theme of circularity with representatives from academia, industry and policy in the UK and the Netherlands.
UCL hosted Sylvie Retailleau, French Minister of Higher Education & Research, this week as part of a high-level delegation exploring opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration with France.
UCL Global Engagement is supporting the Lost & Found: A European Literary Map of London project, exploring the city through the eyes of European writers, artists and intellectuals, through the ages.
UCL has announced a groundbreaking partnership with RISE, Research Institutes of Sweden. This collaboration explores how the human brain interacts with built environments to design sustainable surroundings that enhance health and well-being.
UCL academics met with a delegation from Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) to share knowledge and discuss deepening education and research collaborations.
UCL celebrated a key milestone in its longstanding collaboration with Germany’s Max Planck Institutes (MPIs) with the launch of a new Research Visiting Fellowship Scheme with the Max Planck Law (MPL) network.
UCL President & Provost Dr Michael Spence led a delegation visit to mainland China and Hong Kong this month to meet with prospective students, alumni, partners and supporters.
UCL’s Vice-Provost Research, Innovation & Global Engagement, Professor Geraint Rees, led a delegation visit to mainland Europe to reconnect with UCL’s community of partners, alumni, and policymakers through a series of meetings and events.
UCL reinforced its strong academic and cultural ties with Greece during a special reception at the Residence of the Greek Ambassador to the UK in London. The event highlighted the impact of UCL collaborations with Greek partners and the strength of the Greek alumni community.
UCL Global Engagement hosted friends in the diplomatic and policy community for an evening’s discussion on ‘Healthcare for Tomorrow’, providing insights and implications for decisionmakers.
UCL Global Engagement is proud to support two UCL academics through the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW) Media Fellowship scheme. Another three UCL academics participating in this programme are supported by UCL Engineering.
Dr Benjamin Guedj (UCL Department of Computer Science) has been named a Knight of the Order of the Academic Palms by France for his contributions to artificial intelligence (AI) and Franco-British scientific collaboration.
For a second year, UCL academics working on climate and environmental governance will have the opportunity to pursue an International Policy Fellowship, designed to equip researchers with the skills, knowledge and networks to inform international policy formulation in Geneva.
We are pleased to announce the first recipients of the UCL-Korea University Strategic Partner Fund, supporting collaborative research projects across various disciplines.
UCL delegation met with the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) as part of a broader trip to Japan led by UCL Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement) Prof Geraint Rees.
Prof Geraint Rees, UCL’s Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement), led a delegation to South Korea to strengthen partnerships with academic, industry, and government leaders, deepen collaborations, and engage UCL’s alumni community in addressing global challenges.
A UCL delegation’s recent visit to Japan reinforced the university’s commitment to impactful global partnerships. By engaging with key institutions, UCL continues to drive research, innovation, and community connections across continents.
UCL and RISE collaborate to pioneer NeuroArchitecture and NeuroDesign, blending brain science, technology, and design to reshape the environments we live in and tackle complex societal challenges.
UCL enjoyed a successful delegation visit to India this month, launching pioneering new collaborations with leading institutions and connecting with students, alumni, philanthropists and partners across the country.
A UCL delegation led by President & Provost Dr Michael Spence visited China to engage prospective students, partners, alumni, and stakeholders, helping to advance research and education priorities with the country.
Further information
As London’s Global University, UCL works with partners across the world to co-create fair solutions to pressing challenges. Find out more about UCL's activity in each of the regions below:
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