About University Alliance
University Alliance (UA) represents the UK’s leading professional and technical universities. Our members specialise in working with industry and employers. Their teaching is hands-on, and designed to prepare students for careers. Their knowledge and research drive industry to innovate, thrive and meet challenges.
Our members are leading the way in innovation and business support in the green, tech, creative and healthcare industries. They educate over 1 in 3 of the country’s nurses and midwives. They are leading providers of teaching in healthcare, the creative arts, degree apprenticeships and more.
University Alliance works to:
- Provide professional networks for leaders and staff at our member universities to share knowledge, learn from each other, and address common challenges and opportunities.
- Run joint programmes across our membership, such as the Doctoral Training Alliance, which supports doctoral researchers with their career development.
- Develop research, insights, and advice to inform government policy on higher education and related issues, and to connect policy makers with people working ‘on the ground’ in our universities.
- Deliver communications and engagement to inform students, staff, industry partners and policymakers about how our member universities work and what makes them distinctive (applied research, industry partnerships, innovative hands-on teaching).
About University Alliance
University Alliance (UA) represents the UK’s leading professional and technical universities. Our members specialise in working with industry and employers. Their teaching is hands-on, and designed to prepare students for careers. Their knowledge and research drive industry to innovate, thrive and meet challenges.
Our members are leading the way in innovation and business support in the green, tech, creative and healthcare industries. They educate over 1 in 3 of the country’s nurses and midwives. They are leading providers of teaching in healthcare, the creative arts, degree apprenticeships and more.
University Alliance works to:
- Provide professional networks for leaders and staff at our member universities to share knowledge, learn from each other, and address common challenges and opportunities.
- Run joint programmes across our members, such as the Doctoral Training Alliance, which supports doctoral researchers with their career development.
- Develop research, insights, and advice to inform government policy on higher education and related issues, and to connect policy makers with people working ‘on the ground’ in our universities.
- Deliver communications and engagement to inform students, staff, industry partners and policymakers about how our member universities work and what makes them distinctive (applied research, industry partnerships, innovative hands-on teaching).
"Professional and technical universities have never been more important to the future of the United Kingdom. As government, higher education and industry work to increase productivity, develop high-level skills, accelerate innovation and create opportunity in every region, University Alliance members will be at the forefront of delivery.
Talent is everywhere and opportunity should be too. Every day, our universities connect learning with industry, research with application, and ambition with opportunity. They equip students with the knowledge, skills and experience needed to succeed, whilst supporting employers, strengthening communities and driving economic growth.
Our strategy sets out the future we want to help create. It reflects our confidence in the transformative power of professional and technical universities and our commitment to a higher education system that values diverse learners, diverse institutions and diverse routes to success. Together, we will continue to champion opportunity, innovation and prosperity for people, places and the nation."
Professor Roderick Watkins DL
Chair, University Alliance
Vice-Chancellor, Anglia Ruskin University
"University Alliance has always been driven by a clear purpose: to champion the UK's leading professional and technical universities that deliver for students, employers, communities and the economy. As the UK faces significant challenges around growth, skills and productivity, our role will never be more important than in the coming years.
This strategy sets out not only the future we want to see, but how we will work together to achieve it. We will influence policy and regulation to create an environment in which our members can thrive. We will strengthen partnerships with employers and industry to ensure higher education continues to develop the talent, skills and innovation employers need. We will build greater recognition of the value of professional and technical universities amongst the public and policymakers, grow and support the collective strength of our membership, and maximise the impact of our organisation through collaboration and operational excellence.
Together, we will ensure our universities will be first for students, and first for employers, and central to the prosperity and success of the UK."
Vanessa Wilson
CEO, University Alliance
UA in stats
93% of 2023/24 graduates from Alliance universities were in work, study or another chosen occupation 15 months after graduating.
University Alliance has represented professional and technical universities for two decades.
Twenty professional and technical universities across the nation's cities, towns and regions.
University Alliance members were more likely to be rated GOLD in the Teaching Excellence Framework than any other mission group.
Our Vision:
First for Students
First for Employers
Our vision is for a world where everyone can access excellent professional and technical universities and employers get the knowledge and skills they need.
Our Mission:
Our mission is to connect and champion excellent professional and technical universities across the country to deliver for students, employers and communities.
Our vision for professional and technical universities
We want to see a world where opportunity is available in every place that potential is found. A world where anyone with the drive, aptitude and ambition to succeed can access higher education, regardlss of their background, geography, finances or stage of life.
A world where high-level professional and technical skills are esteemed, developed and rewarded in the education system.
We want to see employers and universities working hand in hand in every community, shaping learning, skills and research together so that students are equipped to thrive and industries can grow. We want university to be an open door, not an ivory tower; a place where people can upskill, reskill and retrain throughout their lives.
And we want to see professional and technical universities recognised for what they are: engines of opportunity, prosperity and social mobility, that drive growth, strengthen communities and deliver applied research that changes lives.
Hear from our Vice-Chancellors
1.
What does it mean to be part of University Alliance?
2.
What are distinctive strengths of professional and technical universities?
2.
What are distinctive strengths of professional and technical universities?
3.
How will higher education evolve over the next 10 years?
Our Strategic Pillars
1. Influencing with impact
We will benefit our members, their students and regions by creating a favourable policy and regulatory environment for the country’s professional and technical universities.
2. Delivering for employers
We will drive positive industry endorsement and engagement with leading employers and key sectors aligned to the government’s industrial strategy.
3. Brand value and awareness
We will build recognition of University Alliance among target audiences, so our universities are known for excellence in professional and technical higher education, research and industry collaboration.
4. Sustaining and growing membership
We will deliver consistently for our existing members and appeal to universities aligned with our mission.
5. Operational effectiveness
We will mobilise the skills and expertise of our staff and working with expert partners to optimise resources and deliver for members, supported by strong commercial and value-in-kind partnerships.
Our Strategic Pillars
1. Influencing with impact
We will benefit our members, their students and regions by creating a favourable policy and regulatory environment for the country’s professional and technical universities.
2. Delivering for employers
We will drive positive industry endorsement and engagement with leading employers and key sectors aligned to the government’s industrial strategy.
3. Brand value and awareness
We will build recognition of University Alliance among target audiences, so we are known for excellence in professional and technical higher education, research and industry collaboration.
4. Sustaining and growing membership
We will expand by delivering consistently for our existing members and appealing to universities aligned with our mission.
5. Operational effectiveness
We will mobilise the skills and expertise of our staff and working with expert partners to optimise resources and deliver for members, supported by strong commercial and value-in-kind partnerships.
Our Objectives
Over the next decade, our objectives are:
To ensure our members are thriving and able to deliver maximum impact for students, employers and their communities.
To create a compelling and competitive University Alliance offer for students, employers and government.
To enable our members to deliver the advanced skills and expertise employers need.
To ensure University Alliance is a thriving and effective organisation that leading professional and technical universities want to be a member of.
Our Objectives
Over the next decade, our objectives are:
To ensure our members are thriving and able to deliver maximum impact for students, employers and their communities.
To create a compelling and competitive University Alliance offer for students, employers and government.
To enable our members to deliver the advanced skills and expertise employers need.
To ensure University Alliance is a thriving and effective organisation that leading professional and technical universities want to be a member of.
Hear from our Students
Our students choose professional and technical universities because they want an education that prepares them for success in the real world.
They study subjects ranging from nursing to social work, engineering and architecture to biomedical sciences, digital technologies and the creative subjects.
Through hands-on learning, industry-standard facilities and close links with employers, they develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to thrive in their chosen careers.
Hear from our students
Our students choose professional and technical universities because they want an education that prepares them for success in the real world.
They study subjects ranging from nursing to social work, engineering and architecture to biomedical sciences, digital technologies and the creative subjects.
Through hands-on learning, industry-standard facilities and close links with employers, they develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to thrive in their chosen careers.
Our doctoral researchers
The Doctoral Training Alliance (DTA) is UA's enhanced doctoral training programme, which provides a dedicated national network for doctoral researchers and their supervisors together with research and professional skills training opportunities to support career development both within and beyond academia.
It provides a platform where the next generation of researchers can understand the worth of collaborative projects through the sharing of knowledge, ideas and resources.
"The DTA community was an important part of my doctoral journey, it provided me with a great support network, training and development opportunities, and a camaraderie that kept me going through the tough times.
"Regular events, workshops, and writing retreats, provided me with structure in what can feel like a lonely, unstructured journey.
"The DTA gave me opportunities and training to communicate my research impact, develop my professional skills, and make additions to my CV. I learnt so much from the DTA staff, speakers, and the cohort, I'm feel extremely privileged to have this opportunity."
Dominique
Postgraduate Researcher
Anglia Ruskin University
Employer partners
Rolls Royce and the University of Derby
The University of Derby has partnered with Rolls-Royce Submarines Ltd to establish the UK’s first of its kind Nuclear Skills Academy.
The Academy provides apprentices with industry-recognised qualifications and hands-on experience, creating a dedicated pipeline of skilled professionals to support the UK’s nuclear workforce whilst helping learners build rewarding careers in a high-growth industry.
Balfour Beatty and Robert Gordon University
Balfour Beatty and Robert Gordon University have built a partnership that brings industry expertise and real-world experience into the student journey.
Through RGU's Scott Sutherland School of Architecture & Built Environment, Balfour Beatty has supported students through placements, Graduate Apprenticeships, graduate opportunities and industry-led learning, enabling them to apply their academic knowledge to real-world projects.
The partnership is also expanding through the Balfour Beatty Scholarship, which provides financial support, mentoring and industry experience to widen access and encourage more students to pursue careers in areas such as Quantity Surveying.
The partnership continues to create strong pathways from education into rewarding careers in the construction and infrastructure industries, with RGU alumni represented across Balfour Beatty's 26,000+ global workforce.
Our Networks
University Alliance is proud to host and facilitate multiple professional networks for the benefit of our members.
Bringing together expertise from across our member institutions, these networks create opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing, problem solving and sector leadership.
Our Members
Anglia Ruskin University, Birmingham City University, Bournemouth University, University of Brighton, Coventry University, De Montfort University, University of Derby, Glasgow Caledonian University, University of Greenwich, University of Hertfordshire, Kingston University, Leeds Beckett University, Middlesex University, Oxford Brookes University, Robert Gordon University, University of South Wales, Teesside University, University of West London, UWE Bristol, University of Westminster.
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