XClose

UCL News

Home
Menu

UCL heads comment on the RAE 2008 results

18 December 2008

The heads of some of UCL's top-rated faculties and departments comment on the RAE results.

Professor Tadj Oreszczyn Read an overview of UCL's performance in the RAE 2008

Professor Tadj Oreszczyn, Head of the Bartlett School of Graduate Studies:

"We are ecstatic that the hard work of all the researchers at the Bartlett School of Graduate Studies has been recognised, in terms of both its quality and quantity, by the RAE Architecture and Built Environment Panel. Our multidisciplinary research covers important subject areas for both research and practice, including project management, space and spatial design, heritage and sustainability, energy, light and lighting, facility management, climate change, virtual environments, and health and the built environment - the majority of which have been recognised as 'world leading' and 'internationally excellent' by the RAE Panel."

Professor Iain Borden, Head of the UCL Bartlett School of Architecture: 

"We are thrilled that the research of the UCL Bartlett has been rated as one of the top submissions within the Architecture & Built Environment section of the RAE. We believe that this result reflects not only the truly excellent quality of our research activities, but also the unique advantage of offering a comprehensive spectrum of expertise in this field, ranging from energy and environment, history and heritage, management and space, to architectural and urban design. The UCL Bartlett School of Architecture is particularly pleased that its highly distinctive focus on creativity and imagination in architectural design, paired with an equally innovative body of work in written architectural history and theory, has been fully recognised."

Professor Ed Byrne, Dean of the UCL Faculty of Biomedical Sciences:

"The new RAE results confirm that UCL is the strongest medical research university in the United Kingdom. This is evidenced by the number of 4* researchers and the total number of 4* and 3* researchers, as well as by its research power (the average research score multiplied by the volume of staff submitted for the assessment), for which it was ranked significantly higher in the Biomedical and Life Sciences categories than any other UK university. This reaffirms both the depth and breadth of biomedical research at UCL as certainly the strongest in the UK."


Professor Duncan Wingham, Head of UCL Earth Sciences:

"This is a marvellous achievement for us, and a very nice Christmas present. Earth Sciences was was 3rd of all Environment and Earth Science Departments in the UK (up from 7th in 2001), and one of of only 3 to have an average score higher than 3.0. All our staff were ranked as 2* or better; 80* were ranked 3* or 4*. We are very happy with the outcome."

Professor Anthony Finkelstein, Head of UCL Computer Science:

"We are elated with our success in the RAE, which reflects efforts by colleagues over a substantial period. We have improved our standing with respect to competitor institutions, who have also substantially upped their game. The result is in large part attributable to work across disciplinary boundaries with UCL colleagues, industrial collaborators and other computer scientists internationally, and our success is shared with them."


Professor Steffen Huck, Head of UCL Economics:

"We are genuinely delighted about the RAE outcome which recognizes UCL as a world leader in economic research. The outcome is particularly pleasing as we submitted well over 90% of all eligible staff - a submission percentage that compares very favourably with our competition and that truly reflects the excellence of all our staff.


Professor Nicola Miller, Head of UCL History:

"It is a great pleasure to see that the History panel has classified 40% of our work as 'world-leading' (4*). This was the highest percentage awarded by the panel, and it went to only two other universities. This result is a tribute to the outstanding research of all my colleagues in the History Department, the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine, and the Department of Science and Technology Studies. It also shows the increasing value of collaboration between them."


Professor Dame Hazel Genn QC, Dean of UCL Laws: 

"I am delighted that the outstanding research activity of UCL Laws has been acknowledged in this way.  It is a credit to all members of academic and support staff whose excellence is recognised in this result."


Professor Tim Crane, Head of UCL Philosophy:

"We are delighted that the research excellence of our department has been recognised by the RAE panel. No other philosophy submission in the UK had 45% of its research activity rated as 4*. I congratulate my colleagues, both in Philosophy and in Science and Technology Studies, on this fine achievement."


Professor Ann Blandford, Director of the UCL Interaction Centre:

"UCL's strength in interdisciplinary research is reinforced by these results. The UCL Interaction Centre's research bridges Computer Science and Psychology, both of which are recognised as being among the top submissions in their respective units of assessment in the RAE."