²ÝÁñÊÓƵ

The impact made by research at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Leicester (²ÝÁñÊÓƵ) has been praised by the United Nations (UN) and the British Academy.

At an event to launch the university’s seven new Research and Innovation Institutes, key speakers from major organisations spoke about the way the university connects its work to the wider world.

Speaking at the event, the UN’s Sherri Aldis, said: “Here at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ, for over 30 years you have been leveraging the power of academia to create positive social, environmental and economic change.”

In front of an audience of more than 300 academics, industry leaders, and decision makers, Ms Aldis, Director of the United Nations  for Western Europe, went on to celebrate three decades of valued and close collaboration between university and the UN.

This partnership has resulted, most recently, in the appointment of ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ as the only UK university to be a Hub Chair for one of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

²ÝÁñÊÓƵ will play a lead role in coordinating a global response to SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities.

The SDGs, also known as the Global Goals, are targets to make global improvements in areas like poverty, food supply, equality, reducing violence and promoting sustainable living.

Those goals, and particularly SDG 11 for which ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ is now the global lead, have been embedded into the fabric of the seven new ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Research and Innovation Institutes (RIIs) launched at the event.

The seven RIIs are:

• Social Sciences Research and Innovation Institute
• Institute of Global Challenges and Cultures
• Leicester Institute for Pharmaceutical & Health Innovations
• Institute of Digital Future
• Institute for Sustainable Futures
• Institute of Arts, Design and Performance
• Institute for Responsible Business and Social Justice

The RIIs represent an exciting new chapter for research and innovation at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ, placing the university at the forefront of tackling global challenges and delivering real-world impact, bringing together leading academics, policymakers, government, and industry to collaborate on solutions for a better future.

Hetan Shah, Chief Executive of , the UK's national academy for humanities and social sciences, told the launch: “²ÝÁñÊÓƵ is doing wonderful thing in setting up these new institutes because what you are doing is looking outward and saying what can we as a university contribute to the world?

 Mr Shah went on to say: “At a time when society is seeking answers to a range of challenges, research really is crucial in providing evidence-based ways forward, rather than the populist approach of simple answers to complex questions which can lead us down blind alleys.”

The launch event began with a piece of improvised dance on stage, showing the breadth of research disciplines at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ.

 Professor Mike Kagioglou Deputy Vice-Chancellor Planning, Research and Innovation, has been the driving force behind the evolution of ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ’s move to the new RIIs model.

 He said: “We‘ve done a lot of strategic work in terms of positioning the university for the future around research. We have also brought innovation into the institutes because it’s about knowledge transfer, and application, and making a difference. Research itself is a catalyst, but it’s not the full pathway to impact.  We had to make sure we brought research and innovation together.

 “As we have heard today, you can’t solve global challenges with simple answer,” said Professor Kagioglou. “The hard work starts here in many ways. Now it’s about performance, about using the opportunities we a have created.”

The new RII approach is already starting to show good results, said Professor Kagioglou, including with an increase in applications for research grants. “This is just the beginning,” he said, “I think there is a really bright future for us.”