London the ‘Higher Education Capital of the World’ event hosted at UCL

They were attending the launch of London Higher’s London: The Higher Education Capital of the World, a new report highlighting the capital’s strengths in education, research and innovation, with a foreword from the Mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan.

Speakers at the reception included Howard Dawber OBE, Deputy Mayor of London for Business and Growth at the Greater London Authority; Professor Shitij Kapur, Chair of London Higher and Vice-Chancellor & President of King’s College London; Sakina Sule Ali, a recent graduate of the London College of Fashion; and Lord Kulveer Ranger, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for London and a former Bartlett School of Architecture student. 

The report highlights London’s position as a global centre for higher education, home to nearly 550,000 students, more than 140 higher education institutions and two of the world’s top 10 universities, including UCL, which rose to joint eighth in the latest QS World University rankings.

It argues that the capital’s concentration of universities, specialist institutions and research centres is unmatched anywhere in the world. 

Launching the report, Professor Kapur said: “London’s higher education sector is one of the UK’s greatest strategic assets. The strength of our higher education sector helps ensure the UK remains competitive, connected and influential on the world stage.

“But global leadership is never permanent. Cities around the world are investing heavily in higher education and innovation. If the UK wants to remain internationally competitive, we must continue to nurture the conditions that allow London’s universities and research institutions to thrive.”

Howard Dawber talked about the role universities play in driving investment, innovation and economic growth across the capital, while Lord Ranger reflected on London’s global strengths and the importance of higher education to the city’s future success.

Professor Geraint Rees, Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement), said: “It is particularly special to welcome colleagues from across London’s higher education community to UCL during our bicentennial year.

“For 200 years, we have been welcoming students to this unique location, founded on the belief that higher education should be open to people from all backgrounds.

“Today, our student and alumni communities represent more than 150 countries and our global partnerships reach around the globe.

“This publication highlights not only the excellence of London’s universities but the power of the ecosystem that connects education, research, innovation and industry across the capital and the world.”

The report highlights London’s position as a leading global hub for frontier industries. References to UCL include:

• A case study on Google DeepMind, co-founded by UCL PhD students Demis Hassabis, Shane Legg and Mustafa Suleyman. DeepMind’s pioneering work on AlphaFold transformed protein structure prediction and contributed to Sir Demis being awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. 
• The Mayor of London-backed London Quantum Cluster, which brings together UCL, King’s College London and Imperial College London to accelerate the development of quantum research, innovation and commercialisation. 
• UCL’s Huntington’s Disease Centre, where researchers developed a treatment shown to slow progression of Huntington’s disease by 75 per cent.
• UCL The Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources (BSEER) role in advancing clean energy.
• UCL’s role in the London Anchor Institutions Network, a Greater London Authority-led partnership that includes UCL and other major public sector organisations. Members have collectively secured £1.75 billion in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises contracts, supported more than 7,200 London Living Wage uplifts and created more than 4,000 apprenticeships across the capital.

The report also highlights the importance of London’s innovation ecosystem.

UCL is a founding partner of the Knowledge Quarter, one of Europe’s leading knowledge and innovation districts, bringing together universities, businesses, cultural organisations and research institutions around King’s Cross, Euston and Bloomsbury.

The report notes that the Knowledge Quarter supports around 59,500 jobs across 176 companies and eight universities. UCL’s Professor Alan Thompson, Pro-Provost London, recently was appointed as Chair of the Knowledge Quarter Board.

UCL has been a long-standing member of London Higher, the representative body for universities and higher education colleges across the capital. The university’s relationship with London Higher is coordinated through the UCL London Office, which works closely with partners across the higher education, political and business sectors to champion London’s contribution to education, research and innovation.

The launch, held in the Wilkins Building on Tuesday 14 July, formed part of a wider campaign by London Higher to champion London’s higher education sector and its contribution to research, innovation, economic growth and opportunity across the UK.

Links

• London: The Higher Education Capital of the World report
• London Higher
• Mayor of London
• Professor Shitij Kapur
• Professor Geraint Rees
• Lord Kulveer Ranger
• UCL Pro Provost London

Image

• Left to right: Lord Kulveer Ranger, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for London and UCL Bartlett alumnus; Professor Geraint Rees, UCL Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement); Howard Dawber OBE, Deputy Mayor of London for Business and Growth, Greater London Authority; Liz Hutchinson, Chief Executive Officer, London Higher; Sakina Sule Ali, London College of Fashion graduate; and Professor Shitij Kapur, Chair of London Higher and Vice-Chancellor & President of King’s College London.

Media Contact

Nick Hodgson

E: nick.hodgson [at] ucl.ac.uk