Our work in 2024-2025

• Education and student experience

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  Education and student experience

  Guided by our RH2030s ambition to provide inclusive education and skills for choice and opportunity, and guided by Emma Mayhew, our new Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience), Royal Holloway set in motion initiatives to drive transformational change in 2024/25.

   

  Education & Student Experience strategic action plan

   

  In 2024/25 we completed extensive consultation with students, staff and other stakeholders, and are now delivering against the Education & Student Experience strategic action plan. Within this key plan we are reviewing what we teach through a substantial Portfolio Review and reviewing how we teach with a focus on the development of a new Curriculum Framework. We are also significantly enhancing how we support our community of staff and students, aligned with the University’s RH2030s ambitions.

   

  Widening participation and access

   

  We are proud of our diverse student body and continue to build it by focusing on attracting and nurturing those from under-represented groups.

   

  Our students in 2024/25: 

  • 53% from Black and Global Majority (BGM) background 
  • 35% first generation in their family to attend university  
  • 18% have a disability

  Being a student at Royal Holloway

• Research and innovation

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  Research and innovation

  Our RH2030s strategy outlines a bold and far-reaching plan for Research and Innovation led by Professor Ruth Livesey, who was appointed to the newly created Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research and Innovation role earlier this year.

   

  In 2024/25 we worked to ensure we have the people, culture and infrastructure in place to deliver our ambitions. We focused on our areas of strength, built a more supportive research community, and raised our credentials as innovators for social purpose.

   

  Our five areas of strength are:

   

   

  Explore our research projects

• Global engagement and partnerships

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  Global engagement and partnerships

  We are dedicated to making a difference on a global scale. Reflecting our RH2030s strategic ambition of inclusive education and research, in 2024/25 we built educational partnerships and created opportunities for cross-cultural exchange that enriched the academic experience for our students and colleagues.   

   

  University of London

   

  We have been part of the University of London (UoL) since the 1900s. We deliver distance learning undergraduate and postgraduate degrees for independent learners through the UoL platform and in collaboration with UoL and Coursera.

   

  Study Group

   

  In 2024/25, the International Study Centre (ISC) educated 267 students representing 58 nationalities – the third most diverse ISC cohort across all of the other UK Study Group partner universities. This diversity drives Royal Holloway’s degree diversity, especially at undergraduate level. In July 2025, the ISC underwent a five-year formal review, which it successfully passed. The Centre’s excellent level of support and student success were commended.

   

  Scholarships

   

  We successfully bid for two British Council GREAT scholarships in 2024 for Nigeria and Ghana, and have been awarded one more for 2025 for Mexico. In addition, this year sees the launch of our fully-funded Chevening scholarship, aimed at attracting the brightest and best students from around the world to the University.

   

  Our global partnerships

• Engagement and place

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  Engagement and place

  Our work in Engagement and Place was broadened and guided by the RH2030s vision and the strategic ambition of ‘civic minded, globally engaged’. Throughout 2024/25 we worked to ensure that social purpose is at the heart of what we do, and that inclusivity informs the way we engage with civic partners and local communities.

   

  Providing sanctuary

   

  Marking a significant milestone in our journey as a University of Social Purpose, in June 2025 we were recognised as a University of Sanctuary, joining a network of UK institutions committed to supporting people seeking sanctuary.

   

  University of Sanctuary

  Explore the work we do locally

• Alumni and philanthropy

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  Alumni and philanthropy

  Our alumni and supporters are a vital part of our community. As part of our RH2030s social purpose vision, in 2024/25 we kickstarted important projects to engage with them more closely, laying the foundations that will help us deliver inclusive education for future generations of Royal Holloway students.

   

  Our alumni

   

  The For What Matters Fund

   

  Autumn 2024 saw the launch of our For What Matters Fund. Aligning more closely with our RH2030s vision this will allow us to respond quickly to the most urgent needs of students (such as financial hardship, access to equipment, or emergency aid in cases of global crisis), enabling them to stay on track and succeed.

   

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• Environmental sustainability

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  Environmental sustainability

  We began the 2024/25 academic year by cementing our environmental vision within Royal Holloway’s new RH2030s strategy - aspiring to be one of London’s most sustainable universities and embedding sustainability across our operations, teaching and research.

   

  Our progress has been recognised in a number of external rankings. In the People & Planet University League 2024/25 we moved up 29 places to 83rd (and from a 3rd to a 2:2 classification), while our 2025 QS World University Sustainability ranking jumped up 75 places: Royal Holloway’s greatest improvement across all QS metrics. 

   

  Find out more about our work