Our Future, St George's, University of London

St George's, University of London prides itself on an ability to move swiftly in response to the ever-changing environment in education and research. Building on 250 years of innovation - both in teaching and groundbreaking research - we are committed to providing the best possible experience for our students, one that keeps pace with the health challenges of modern society and a changing NHS.

Our students are our priority. We firmly believe that the warm and friendly environment we strive to foster here ensures that St George's becomes a "home from home". One where staff and students really get to know one another, and where new ideas and opinions are welcomed. Yes, our students are expected to work hard, but our staff and a strong network of student mentors are there to provide advice and encouragement for every step of the way.

We are exploring ways to enhance the student experience, looking at a number of options for how we can best deliver high-quality education at the sharp end of clinical practice. One of these options is to form a closer working partnership with another institution. St George's values its strengths and distinctiveness, and any partnership will be built on a solid foundation of maintaining these. Being based in South West London allows our students to take advantage of the richness of clinical experience in a multicultural environment. We provide the "London experience", and will continue to do so. We also award University of London degrees, and will do for the foreseeable future. Our close relationship with St George's Hospital Trust is being constantly strengthened to exploit more fully the opportunities our students gain by studying at one of the UK's busiest and most diverse hospitals.

Yet we cannot ignore the benefits to students of creating a multi-faculty environment. Broadening our course portfolio to include disciplines outside medicine and health sciences will provide even greater opportunities for our students to diversify their interests in the social sciences and in other university disciplines not immediately linked to health.

We give equal weight to our excellence in both teaching and research. Our international reputation continues to grow because of our ability to adapt and innovate in a climate of constant change. All universities will be challenged by new criteria for funding in the future, and as the NHS continues to change, so must we. We have not yet fully exploited our strengths: we are developing a robust strategy to do so thereby securing our place at the forefront of healthcare education for generations of students to come.

Students are our future and we are committed to ensuring that they are given the best opportunities, now and in their choice of career. We hope you will support us in this mission and we look forward to you joining us on the path to a fulfilling and successful future.

Principal, Professor Peter Kopelman
Deputy Principal, Professor Sean Hilton
St George's, University of London