Building a Better Tomorrow: What ResearchPlus Means for UK Academia

City St George’s Backs Nationwide Move to Advance Academic Excellence

City St George’s, University of London, is a recently established institution, created through the 2024 merger of City, University of London and St George’s, University of London. This strategic consolidation has brought together exceptional strengths in health, medicine, business, law, and technology, forming a vibrant, multi-disciplinary university with a strong emphasis on professional education and applied research.

Moreover, reflecting its mission to advance academic excellence and contribute to national development, City St George’s has joined a new national collaboration of universities. In partnership with nine other institutions across the UK, the university aims to reinforce the higher education sector’s role in driving innovation, economic growth, and societal wellbeing. This alliance, named ResearchPlus, seeks to achieve its objectives through excellence in research, knowledge exchange, engagement, and the development of research-informed education and skills.

Professor Sir Anthony Finkelstein, President of City St George’s, highlighted the university’s world-class expertise and affirmed that joining the ResearchPlus network would amplify their collective voice. He further stressed the importance of diversity within the UK’s research ecosystem, noting that a thriving and globally competitive sector relies on the visibility and contributions of a wide range of institutions. Aligned with each member university’s mission, the collaboration prioritises enhancing educational access, promoting social mobility, and positioning universities as key partners to government, businesses, and local communities. The group is set to officially launch at a parliamentary event in October, with founding members including Brunel University London, Keele University, Royal Holloway, SOAS, the University of Essex, the University of Hull, The Open University, the University of Sussex, Ulster University, and City St George’s itself.

Welcoming the initiative, the UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP, described it as a valuable opportunity to bring together leading academic talent to tackle major challenges and accelerate innovation. He also underscored the importance of collaboration between universities, government, and industry in delivering the Government’s Plan for Change and enhancing opportunity across the UK. City St George's involvement in ResearchPlus reflects a forward-looking commitment to shaping an inclusive and globally relevant higher education landscape.

Editor’s Note:

The decision by City St George’s, University of London, to join the new ResearchPlus partnership marks an important step toward shaping a more united and impactful future for higher education in the UK. This collaboration brings together ten forward-thinking universities with their expertise in research, better access to education, and practical solutions for communities, businesses, and the country as a whole. By combining their strengths, these universities can support real change. Whether it's through scientific breakthroughs, new ideas that help local communities, or better training for tomorrow’s workforce, the investment in ResearchPlus is a commitment to long-term progress. It recognises that solving today’s biggest problems, like economic growth, public health, and social opportunity, requires teamwork and knowledge from across different fields and institutions.

According to Skoobuzz, by uniting institutional expertise and strengthening the relationship between academia, industry, and government, this initiative sets a promising course for addressing the UK’s most pressing social and economic challenges.