Delivering impact on a global scale
At Imperial, our founding mission is simple: to be useful. Written into our Royal Charter in 1907, this guiding principle has never been more relevant than today.
Being useful in 2025 means delivering global impact through research and innovation, and shaping the next generation of leaders and change-makers. Every day our students, staff and partners come together to interrogate the forces that shape our world and we use that knowledge to make the world a better place – healthier, smarter, safer, more prosperous and more sustainable. And it means harnessing the power of science and technology to drive economic growth.
Since the launch of our Science for Humanity strategy in March 2024, we have seen great progress across our three core aims: enabling talent, powering research and amplifying impact.
We strengthened our global impact and engagement this year with the launch of Imperial Global hubs in the USA, India, and Ghana. These hubs, alongside our Singapore hub, which launched in early 2024, will foster meaningful, long-term collaborations with academic, industry and policy partners as well as our global alumni community.
Acting as platforms for innovation, joint research, knowledge exchange, and science diplomacy – they reflect our commitment to building bridges between the UK and key regions of scientific and technological advancement around the world.
We also celebrated a major milestone in interdisciplinary research with the launch of a major initiative in Convergence Science. Our goal is to accelerate solutions to complex global problems by bringing together world-class researchers from a range of disciplines at unprecedented scale. Tackling global issues such as pandemics, AI,and climate change requires a bold, cross-disciplinary approach and we are proud to lead in this space.
Leadership at Imperial is central to maintaining our position as a global higher education and research powerhouse. This year, we welcomed several new senior leaders, including Kristin Blanchfield as Vice President (Advancement) and Kathryn Al-Shemmeri as Chief People Officer. We were also delighted to appoint Professor Peter Haynes as Imperial’s new Provost and Deputy President. In this role, Peter will oversee the university's day-to-day academic affairs, helping us strengthen Imperial’s reputation as one of the world’s top universities. At the same time, we offered a heartfelt farewell to Professor Ian Walmsley, whose tenure as Provost was marked by a deep commitment to excellence, innovation and impact. We wish him well in his next role.
Thanks to our brilliant community – staff and students – Imperial’s star has continued to rise. We have retained our prominent position in several global rankings while growing our world-leading research and education.
We have continued to invest in our student experience. And through WestTech London, we are building a new frontier for innovation, skills development and entrepreneurship, working in partnership with industry, government and global institutions to ensure our discoveries translate into tangible impact and economic growth.
Imperial stands ready – to drive growth, lead discovery, and deliver real-world solutions. We invite our partners, stakeholders, and government to join our mission.
Professor Hugh Brady
President of Imperial College London