The year 2022 was another truly remarkable one for our University.

As ever, our staff and students rose to the challenges presented to them and I’m extremely proud of the way each and every member of our University community worked together to once again deliver our mission for the Common Good.

As you read the review of this year’s activities of the GCU community, you will recognise just how transformational and impactful our work has been.

In the latest Research Excellence Framework, the University's reputation as a world-leading provider of health research delivering real-life improvement was driven home when we were assessed as second in the UK for health impact.  A remarkable achievement for a relatively young University. Overall, 91% of our health research is formally classified as excellent and three-quarters of our research across all other disciplines was considered to be world-leading or internationally excellent, a level unsurpassed by any other Scottish modern university.

This year, we were also named fourth in the world and first in the UK for promoting gender equality in the latest Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings, and 21^st in the world for our work to reduce inequalities. GCU also climbed eight places in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023, moving to 52nd out of 132 universities in the UK. We also recorded our best performance in the Guardian University Guide, climbing 17 places to 52nd out of 121 universities in the UK. This was the highest increase of any Scottish university and makes GCU the top-performing modern university in Scotland.

We also continue to be leaders in widening participation in Higher Education. Scottish Funding Council figures highlight that in the last academic year, 23% of our Scottish full-time, first-degree entrants were drawn from the country's 20% most-disadvantaged backgrounds, well above the sector average of 16.7%. Social justice and the promotion of social mobility lies at the heart of absolutely everything we do.

The latest National Student Survey (NSS), which tracks views of students from across Scotland, showed that as we emerged from two very challenging years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the vast majority of our students were happy with the services provided by the University.  We must, however, continue to support the development of positive mental health among students and staff in the year ahead.

In spite of the developing global economic recession and increasing uncertainty and instability around the world, GCU continues to thrive as a truly international, outward-facing university. Our expanding network of partnership campuses and collaborations for research, innovation and teaching, are all driven by our Common Good mission and strong sense of purpose and belonging.

Glasgow Caledonian University staff and students also continue to co-create and share our expertise and resources with both business and the public sector for the betterment of society, and you will see good examples of our work throughout this review.

It was certainly a year full of challenge, but also one of hope and one in which the GCU community has fully returned to our campuses following the pandemic.

It was, however, with deep sadness that we recorded the passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, this year. You can read about our historical links with Her late Majesty as we look back through the archive to when she became a patron of our “Dough School” in 1944.

I am, of course, a wee bit sad to say 2022 was also my last year as Vice-Chancellor and you can look back with me over my 17 years in the role in the coming pages.

In the New Year, Professor Stephen Decent will take up the role and I wish him every success. I am confident that our University, so full of 'uncommon people for the common good’, will continue to flourish in the coming years. It has truly been a privilege and a joy to serve as your Vice-Chancellor.

Professor Pamela Gillies CBE FRSE
Principal and Vice-Chancellor