The University of Leeds is dedicated to the creation, dissemination and application of knowledge.
In addition, we aim to provide a wide range of opportunities for students and staff, ensuring excellence in every aspect of student education, research and innovation and promoting enterprise and creativity.
The University, established in 1904, is one of the largest higher education institutions in the UK. We are renowned globally for the quality of our teaching and research.
Our mission
Through collaboration, we harness our expertise in research and education to advance knowledge, transform lives and shape a better future for our communities, our region and the world.
Our vision
Working with others, we will use our collective talents, expertise and shared endeavour in research and education to address local and global challenges, achieve social justice, reduce inequalities, and help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
We will enable our students to thrive through a sense of belonging. They will be partners in shaping their own dynamic and innovative educational experience, characterised by active learning, digital technologies and collaboration. Students will feel valued for their unique contribution, and they will graduate equipped to make a difference as true global citizens.
Our strategy
Our strategy sets a blueprint for a values-driven university. One that harnesses its expertise in research and education to help shape a better future for humanity, working through collaboration to tackle inequalities, achieve societal impact and drive change.
The University of Leeds received its Charter as an independent institution from Edward VII in 1904. Since, Leeds has developed into one of the top UK universities for research and impact power. Over 80% of our research has a top quality rating of either “world-leading” or “internationally excellent” securing the University 10th place for research power. Our research impact power, outside academia, is significant; securing the University 9th position in the Research Excellence Framework 2014.
Our pursuit of academic excellence and our ever-increasing knowledge base provides a springboard to address major global challenges across a broad range of disciplines including high impact work in health, water, food, energy, culture and cities. Our experts represent their fields in global and national organisations, such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the UK Food Standards Agency.
We have an impressive range of facilities to support our research, from special collections and archives, digital resources, data analytics, robotics, simulation and imaging to nanofabrication. Bioelectronics are being developed in our nano-technology clean rooms, outdoor clothing can be tested for warmth and wear in our technical textiles lab, and car safety is being improved in our driving simulator.
We are one of the largest research-based institutions in the UK and in 2013 we secured 615 new awards totalling £146m of income.
We are shaping our world, from developing innovative health technologies to illuminating the cultural significance of literature and landscapes.
University of Leeds Climate Plan
At the University of Leeds, our world-leading research and education plays an essential part in plotting a path to a fairer and more sustainable future. But we need to do more.
In 2019 the University agreed seven principles to address the crisis, including setting an ambitious 2030 net zero greenhouse gas target. Even in the midst of a global pandemic, members from across the University have been establishing how we can take these principles off the page and transform them into a full, deliverable Climate Plan, one that is consistent with the values of our 10 year strategy.
Our Climate Plan is at the heart of the part we are playing to support climate change mitigation and adaptation, locally and globally, while also contributing to a healthier, greener and fairer place to live, work and study.
The University of Leeds has committed to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Our net zero plan lays out an ambitious yet realistic pathway to reach the target of achieving an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions we are producing and greenhouse gas emissions we are taking out of the atmosphere.