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Vision & ExcellenceEstablishing London as theKnowledge Capital of the World“The quality of London's…Higher Education Institutionsclearly makes London a successfuland major international centre forhigher education”.The Rt. Hon. Charles Clarke MP,Secretary of State for Education & Skills, 2004

Generatec. £8 billion eachyear in goodsand servicesWin25 per cent of all UKresearch funding – some£600 million annually –led by a cluster ofthe world’s top researchinstitutions and institutesAttractto the UK 65,000international studentsfrom over 200 countries,who in turn spend over£750 million in theUK each yearContributec. 1 per cent of UK GDPand 4 per centof London’s GDPDid you know..?The figures about London’s HEIs speakfor themselves. Collectively they:Produceover 66,000 skilled graduatesand other qualifiers for thejob market each year, with eachgraduate cohort having thepotential to generate£11.7 billion duringtheir working livesProvidea first class education for350,000 students – who are ableto choose from over6,000 undergraduate coursesand several thousandpostgraduate qualificationsEmploy58,000 FTE staff –and for every one employedby HE in London, one otherjob is created elsewherein the UK economySharing the visionLondon is already acknowledged to be oneof the world’s foremost international centres forhigher education (HE). London could, however, furtherexcel and become the foremost centre – for teaching,for research, for business interaction and for higher levelskills delivery and community regeneration. All of theseare areas in which London’s universities and HE collegesalready shine.This statement sets out the ambition of London’sHE institutions (HEIs) to realise this potential –and see London established, and universallyrecognised, as the knowledge capital ofthe world.

London’s HEIs are an economic and cultural powerhouse –not just for the capital, but for the whole UK and, in manycases, the world beyond. The alumni ‘stars’, past andpresent, include world leaders (from John F Kennedy toJunichiro Koizumi – current Prime Minister of Japan),cultural luminaries (from Benjamin Britten to DavidHockney), business pioneers (from George Soros to JamesDyson) and nearly 30 Nobel prize winners.Whatever the research, learning or skills demands of abusiness, organization or individual, they can be met byLondon’s HEIs, whether it be in terms of size, location,specialism or scope. They range from large, multi-facultyand multi-site universities to small, highly specialistsingle site colleges; they can be found centrally or acrossgreater London; they excel in every subject from scienceand medicine to art and design; and they cater to alllevels of commerce and culture from global networks toindividual skill and enterprise, from the established fieldsto newly emerging markets.Committed to Excellence:Regional Priorities forLondon’s HEAll correspond closely with London’s commercial andprofessional strengths in business, finance & economics,law, health, medicine & medical research, information &communications technology, biotechnology andeducation, as well as with its creative and cultural sectors,such as music, dance & drama, fashion and art & design.Many are also working in novel areas, some of whichwill spawn new businesses creating future competitiveadvantages for London and the UK. Through extensivework with their local communities and with furthereducation (FE) colleges and other organisations, our HEIsare regenerating deprived areas of London, securing equalopportunities for the capital’s diverse ethnic populationand helping to up-skill the future UK workforce.There is nothing to rival the London HEI cluster in the UKor Europe. In order to achieve our aim to establish Londonas the unrivalled knowledge capital of the world we nowneed to grow our reputation for excellence – and theresources, both human and material – that underpin it.Key ingredients for success will include identifying our areasof excellence and working together to develop and enhancethem. Examples of both already abound in the capital.• London is a world city and is uniquely endowed with awonderfully diverse cluster of world class institutions,knowledge infrastructure, skilled individuals andrenowned entrepreneurial spirit. As well as being thecapital city and home to the UK government, it is aworld leading centre for the financial and businessservices and the creative industries amongst others.• London’s HEIs already collaborate extensively.They work with: each other; national, regional andlocal government organizations; schools and FEcolleges; business; the health service; museums,galleries and an array of national institutions; andcharities & community groups. Collaboration takesplace at every level and is effective in London,nationally and internationally.

Our aspiration is ambitious, then, butnot unrealistic. Following discussion withour members and key stakeholders we haveidentified the following four themes, and theten specific actions that arise out of them, asprimary steps towards developing and sustainingLondon as the knowledge capital of the world.NLondon H.E. AspirationsPotential OutputsAnticipated OutcomesATo establish, and to see universalacknowledgment given to, London as theundisputed Knowledge Capital of the world1. A major promotional campaign todemonstrate how and why London is theglobal knowledge capital for HE• London will be known and recognisedthe world over as the Knowledge Capitalof the world – by potential students andtheir sponsors; other HE communities;investors and business• London will continue to be able toattract and keep world class research &researchers and other specialist staff2. Recognition of HE research & teachingexcellence in London’s core business sectors,e.g. medicine and health, creative industries,business & finance, law, edcucation etc.• Funding to be distributed according toexcellence – wherever it occurs in the UKBTo maintain & develop essential but highcostHE facilities – with an emphasis oncollaboration to maximise use, avoidduplication and spread risk3. Shared Incubator / follow-on space /Science Parks to grow spin-outs andinnovation and stimulate entrepreneurialactivity• State-of-the-art HE knowledge andenterprise hubs will boost productivityby encouraging and supportingHE-originated start-up businesses4. Student / academic village/s togetherwith supporting infrastructure such asshops, libraries and recreational facilities• Increasing the supply of affordableaccommodation for London’s students,staff and academic visitors will removea major barrier to growing the market• Academic villages will boost localeconomies across LondonCTo continue to be able to recruit, retain anddevelop world class staff, at all levels.5. Recognition of the higher costs HEIs incuroperating in London – with appropriatefunding adjustments based upon this• Attract, incentivise and retain qualitystaff in London HE6. Keyworker status to be extended to HE• Address risks posed by an aging staffprofile in London by encouragingyounger staff in the early parts of theircareers into HE7. A globally attractive London scholarshipand Fellowship programme• Scholars & fellows will act as ambassadorsfor London and UK in general• UK will influence potential future academic,business, cultural and political leadersDTo enhance strategies and continuepartnerships to support, contribute to anddevelop London and Londoners8. Together with FE colleges, schools,community groups and throughpartnership initiatives such as AimHigher,to work towards achieving thegovernment’s goal of opening HE to 50%of young people across all of London’sboroughs• To attract non-traditional students andensure their HE development andprogression is successful9. Employers to recognize and value thediversity in all our graduates• Increased employability (and quality ofemployment) and higher level skillsattainment for graduates across theLondon region, especially among nontraditionalstudents and those residentin HE participation coldspots10. Utilize fully the skills of London’smigrant workers• Increased productivity – with skilledmigrant workers (who are highlyrepresented in London) able to re-certifytheir qualifications, thereby contributingto the local & national economy

Meeting the challenge:working with London’s HEOur goal to establish London as the knowledge capitalof the world is one that engages London and Londoners.To fail in adequately supporting our HEIs is to fail on amuch broader canvas.This is not an idle threat. Competition from rival citiesand HE regions is intense, not just from traditionalcompetitors in Europe, America and Australia, butincreasingly from new HE players in the East, inparticular China and Japan who are investing heavilyin their HEIs (many of whose students currently studyin London).Complacency, too, is a threat. Merely sustainingthe current levels of resource and facilities will notbe sufficient to compete in the new global HEenvironment. To achieve our goal we need to invest inour excellence (wherever that may lie), enhance ourfacilities, develop our staff (and attract new blood),and grow our links with the people and businessesof London.London’s HEIs are committed to achieving our aim.To succeed we need your help:• MPs, MEPs and Peers. As respected representatives ofthe region we look to you to support us by promotingHE in the capital and championing the goals we have set.• London Stakeholders. We share many objectives withkey regional bodies such as the London DevelopmentAgency, the Greater London Authority, the NHS, theLearning and Skills Council, other regional and localgovernment bodies and with business and businessintermediaries. We have an established and dynamicrelationship with FE partners – many of which deliverHE directly – that will play an even more importantrole in the future. We look forward to working moreclosely with other London stakeholders to fulfil ourmutual aims.• London’s universities and higher education colleges.London’s HEIs endorse the London Vision andExcellence aims and through their own strategic plans,and in collaboration with others inside and outside theHE sector, are working towards them.• London Higher is the membership organization thatpromotes and acts as an advocate for London’s HE.We will work with our members and stakeholdersto support and coordinate progress towardsthese goals.To find out more about how you can support thisinitiative see the relevant insert (enclosed) or contactLondon Higher (details on the reverse).Vision & Excellence:the way aheadWe have the excellence – here is the vision.Join the universities and higher educationcolleges in London in our task ofestablishing London as the knowledgecapital of the world.

Member InstitutionsBirkbeck University of London*Brunel UniversityCentral School of Speech & DramaCity UniversityConservatoire for Dance and DramaCourtauld Institute of Art*Goldsmiths College University of London*Imperial College London*Institute of Cancer Research*Institute of Education*King’s College London*Kingston UniversityLondon Business School*London Metropolitan UniversityLondon School of Economics &Political Science*London School of Hygiene &Tropical Medicine*London South Bank UniversityMiddlesex UniversityQueen Mary, University of London*Ravensbourne College ofDesign and CommunicationRoehampton UniversityRose Bruford CollegeRoyal Academy of Music*Royal College of ArtRoyal College of MusicRoyal College of Nursing InstituteRoyal Holloway University of London*School of Oriental and African Studies,University of London *School of Pharmacy*St George’s Hospital Medical School*St Mary’s CollegeThames Valley UniversityThe Open University in LondonThe Royal Veterinary College*Trinity College of MusicUniversity College London*University of East LondonUniversity of GreenwichUniversity of London*University of the Arts LondonUniversity of WestminsterWimbledon School of Art*Colleges of the University of LondonAbout London HigherLondon Higher is a membership organization thatpromotes and acts as an advocate for London’s highereducation. We do this through publications, through the mediaand by engaging with local and national government.It is an ‘umbrella’ body and all 42 eligible universities and collegesare members. London Higher is the biggest and most varied of theregional university associations in the UK. As well as working with,and for, the institutional members, London Higher works closelywith the London Development Agency, the Greater LondonAuthority, the Association of Colleges London Region andwith the business sector with Barclays Bank plc andthrough London First.London HigherSenate HouseMalet StreetLondon WC1E 7HUTel. 020 7664 4843www.londonhigher.ac.ukenquiry@londonhigher.ac.ukDesigned by www.questdesign.co.uk