Institutions

About the University
Public university in London, England The University of West London is a public research university in the United Kingdom which has campuses in Ealing and Brentford in Greater London, as well as in Reading, Berkshire. The university has roots back to 1860, when the Lady Byron School was founded, which later became Ealing College of Higher Education.

The University is currently in excellent financial shape and is well prepared to flourish in what continues to be a harsh economic climate. Nevertheless, like all institutions of higher education we face multiple challenges including:

Intense competition for students and staff particularly in London The known and unknown effects of our departure from the European Union Constrained public funding and reform of the current fee structure An ever changing and precarious labour market requiring new knowledge and skills, and flexible working Increasing demands for greater accountability, transparency and value for money Growing institutional scrutiny driven by the new regulator the Office for Students and the extension of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Scarce and competitive research and enterprise funding measured by the new Research Excellence Framework (REF) and the forthcoming Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) The rise of new technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and the increasing power of social media.

Our students

The University has an exemplary record in extending the reach of higher education to those who have been traditionally excluded from it. We will continue to build on these successes by providing excellent learning and teaching opportunities so that our students and their families enjoy an education that is affordable as well as offering an excellent return on their investment.

It will entail educating individuals who have the flexibility to work in a variety of industries and organisations. It will involve building research capability that is impactful, linked to the businesses and industries we serve, and is curiosity driven. It will also mean offering our students a world-class learning experience that recognises their intellectual and cultural strengths, expands their horizons and prepares them for work in a rapidly changing world.

Our region

Since our origin more than a century and a half ago, the University of West London and its precursors have been intertwined with the locality. Local residents understand the enormous benefits the University brings and collaboration and partnerships have never been stronger. In the coming years we aim to connect both the Ealing Master Plan and the Hounslow Regional Plan to make the University a lynchpin of community interaction. This will see the University playing a central role in shaping a set of relations that will bring new levels of innovation, co-operation, and business activity aimed at unearthing and improving the quality of entrepreneurial talent where ever it resides. It is a strategy that will stretch across the South East and beyond and will incorporate our Berkshire Institute of Health in Reading and other regional stakeholders.