Embracing Uncertainty: A Vision for the Future
Thank you all for being here today. I feel really honoured to be standing here as the 8th President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham.
I know I’m biased but this really is an exceptional institution. A world-leader in teaching, research and innovation for almost 100 years and one I am confident will be leading the way for another 100 years.
Today, I want to share my vision not just for the University of Nottingham but for UK higher education itself. Where should UK universities, particularly ours, be heading in the coming decades? How can we build stronger alliances and foster meaningful dialogue in an increasingly complex world?
A friend recently told me it was "brave" to forecast decades ahead when the world seems to have turned upside down in just the past few months. But this global turmoil isn't new. As Albert Einstein, who visited our university in 1930, said: "The only thing we can be certain of in this life is that we can be certain of nothing."
Or to quote mathematician John Allen Paulos from twenty years ago: "Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security."
So I am going to attempt to predict our future - or at least describe how we embrace the change and challenges we face. I believe that doing so is crucial, not only so we as an institution can thrive, but so that we can make the world a better place.
While looking forward, I'll also reflect on our institutional past and my personal journey. Universities have transformed dramatically since I was a student in the 1980s. It's tempting to view these changes negatively but I hope to convince you that the University of Nottingham's best years are ahead of us.
A brief warning that I will talk about some issues that you may not be expecting and which some may find difficult during this talk.
Let me share a bit about myself. That's me in the lower right of this group photo. If you're expecting tales of sporting prowess, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed - this is as athletic as it got for me!
I grew up in a middle-class family and I remain deeply grateful for the opportunities this afforded me. We moved frequently due to my father's career with Pilkington Glass, including a brief stay in Australia when I was three.
Both my parents attended university, though my mother didn’t complete her degree. I benefited from an excellent education at a private girls' school through the direct grant programme at the time, so my parents didn't have to pay.
My sister and I were encouraged to work hard, excel academically, and believe we could become whatever we wanted. My parents divorced when I was 12, both remarried and my stepmother is here today.
In 1981, I began studying medicine at Edinburgh University. When I returned for a 40-year reunion, the anatomy department still had our individual photos from day one - here's mine in the middle.
Higher education was different then. There were no tuition fees and I received a full living expenses grant from the state. Only 14% of 18-year-olds entered higher education and less than 30% were female.
Had I been born 200 years earlier, I wouldn't have been allowed to study medicine because of my gender. Those students who did study medicine in the 1700s paid for lecture courses directly - typically £5-10 for a full course - plus additional fees for clinical training. So the concept of students paying for their education isn't new; it's actually how some universities began.
I learned anatomy in this lecture theatre on the right hand side where William Burke was dissected in 1829 after being hanged for murder and grave robbing. My clinical training took place in Edinburgh's Old Royal Infirmary.
Like many of you, the friends I made at university remain my best friends today and thanks to some of them for coming today.
Understanding the origins of universities is crucial as we chart our future course.
Our institution was opened in 1881 – as University College Nottingham - and was primarily funded with local money, providing technical, part-time, non-residential education to 300 students, mostly from Nottingham.
It was 50 years before it gained degree-awarding powers – with some of the rejections shown on this slide.
This contrasts with other civic universities like Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, which became independent with their own charters in the early 1900s. Nottingham, and some others who didn’t, in part because they lacked substantial endowments and the prestige of a medical school.
All that was to change thanks to the support of local pharmacist and entrepreneur Jesse Boot, founder of Boots the Chemist, who donated the Highfields estate to the college. The Trent Building's foundation stone was laid in 1926.
We owe Jesse Boot an enormous debt - without him, the University of Nottingham wouldn't exist, although the relationship wasn't always smooth. Boot was deeply involved in university life and wasn't shy about expressing strong opinions, including criticism of the students' union - very different I hope to the way we work together with our students today.
The University of Nottingham continued expanding and by 1938, it had sufficient funds to become self-governing, ultimately leading to university status with degree-awarding powers in 1948.
Over the next two decades, Nottingham expanded significantly, acquiring land around the original Highfields estate, including property across Clifton Boulevard between 1965 and 1969. For those of you who are interested in local geography, the map is on the right hand side. The medical school followed shortly after. Jubilee Campus wasn't purchased until the mid-1990s when Raleigh vacated its premises.
By the time I was at University in the mid 1980s, Nottingham had grown to 8,000 students. Although much bigger than at its inception 100 years earlier, it still had less than a quarter of the number of students it has globally today.
I graduated in 1986 and went to work as a doctor, specialising in women's healthcare, including pregnancy and childbirth.
One of my first junior hospital roles was working with the consultant who cared for all HIV-positive pregnant women in Edinburgh. Those who were around then will remember the awareness campaigns. By the mid 1980s, Edinburgh had been labelled the "AIDS capital of Europe," with transmission occurring largely through intravenous heroin use.
So although HIV prevalence in the general pregnant population was around 0.5%, it was much higher among the women I was looking after.
Looking after these women taught me a lot about luck and circumstance. The idea that life is a level playing field, and high achievers succeed entirely through their own efforts, is simply false. Many people are born into environments that compromise their life chances but accomplish extraordinary things under incredibly difficult circumstances – including some of the women I looked after who strove to do the very best for their babies.
I had planned to become an NHS consultant without pursuing further study or research. The hospital was adjacent to this building - the Centre for Reproductive Biology, one of Europe's largest reproductive research facilities. I was offered a research position investigating the effectiveness of a drug called RU 486 or mifepristone, more commonly known as the abortion pill.
Mifepristone received UK licensing in 1991 and US approval in 1993. This New York Times article from that year illustrates the controversy surrounding reproductive technologies.
Today, mifepristone has been used by tens of millions of women worldwide and has likely saved countless lives by reducing complications from unsafe or illegal abortions.
Working in this field taught me early lessons about how divisive research can be when opinions are so deeply felt: openness, honesty and meaningful engagement is crucial both for scientists and public understanding, and I continue to hold these values close in my current role as Vice Chancellor.
I was awarded my MD degree in 1992 and spent the next 25 years as a clinical academic, dividing my time between research, teaching and work as an NHS consultant.
I began my independent research career in Glasgow, returning to Edinburgh in 2008 to direct the Tommy's Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health.
My research focused on optimising pregnancy outcomes. I conducted fundamental research - being among the first to demonstrate a profound inflammatory reaction in the uterus during labour that likely contributes to contractions. I also performed applied research, showing (amongst other things) that inducing labour at 39 weeks reduces the risk of stillbirth and caesarean sections - findings now incorporated into clinical guidelines worldwide.
By age 33, life was good. My career was thriving as a senior lecturer with successful grant applications, including one from the MRC and I was enjoying clinical work in a major teaching hospital.
This Roy Lichtenstein pop art from 1986 always makes me smile. I didn't quite forget to have children, but I did take time finding a life partner.
Stanley and I met when we were both 33 and we married a year later. Holly was born the following year, and George two years after that. They're all here today, and probably cross with me for not asking permission to show this selfie from last Christmas.
In 2014 I was invited to apply for the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion role at Edinburgh and for the next six years, I balanced this part-time role with being an NHS consultant and directing the Tommy's research centre.
Until then, I wouldn't have considered myself a leader. I was uncomfortable with the term - my image of leadership involved something like this.
Of course, this isn't the only model of leadership, and effective leadership in universities isn't about egotism. Setting a vision is important, but true leadership means being collaborative, helping teams achieve their objectives - listening to others, sharing power and control, supporting growth and development so the team can deliver collectively and share credit for those achievements. I haven’t quite found the right picture but this one on the bottom right is pretty close.
By the end of my term as PVC People and Culture, I knew that, although I'd loved my clinical research career, academic leadership was my true calling.
I moved through various roles, learning about budgetary management, motivating teams and implementing change in university environments before being appointed Vice-Chancellor last year at the University of Nottingham - one of the world's finest universities, ranking among the UK's top 10 for research and student career success.
When appointed, along with the notes of congratulation some people commiserated, saying that it is not a good time to be a Vice-Chancellor.
And ChatGPT, when asked, defines the golden age of UK higher education to be the middle of the last century.
I disagree. I believe our best years are ahead of us.
Just look at our researchers, educators and students many of whom are in the audience today.
And data shows us that more young people than ever attend university - and it's undeniably beneficial. Graduates earn more, report greater happiness, enjoy better health, are more likely to vote, and hold more positive attitudes towards racial and gender equity.
The overwhelming majority of university graduates say university was worth it, while 40% of 18-24 year-olds who don’t attend university regret that decision.
Higher education is also one of Britain's largest exports. International students contribute £20-25 billion to the UK economy, This rivals the likes of the pharmaceutical and aerospace industries.
Universities drive the UK economy beyond direct contributions - every pound invested in UK universities is associated with £14 in economic benefits, with private sector productivity receiving an annual £40 billion boost.
We're thriving as a sector in terms of demand and economic contribution. More importantly, in this era of the knowledge economy, geopolitical uncertainty, economic insecurity and polarised viewpoints, universities are needed more than ever before.
That’s not to say that there aren’t some challenges in higher education - some of which are listed on this slide. Some of those challenges are also opportunities – for example artificial intelligence.
So now I’m going to try to predict the future. And to do that I’m briefly taking you back to the start of my career.
Imagine for a moment you’re leading the team looking after the labour ward. You might have twenty women in labour simultaneously. About 30% will have no complications, 65% will need some sort of intervention, and up to 5% may have a life threatening problem. It’s difficult to predict which women will fall into which category and when.
Now imagine being a university leader in 2025.
The parallels might surprise you. Both roles share something profound: they're about bringing new life into the world. One in the form of a new human being, the other in the delivery of new ideas, innovations, and the next generation of leaders.
And that leads me to the reason why we are all here - our students.
I know I'm biased, but we have the most exceptional students here at Nottingham. Incredibly talented, motivated and thoughtful individuals from the UK and from all over the world who will go on to become the leaders of the future.
Beyond their chosen academic fields, we have tremendous talent in extra-curricular activities such as music and sport.
They also go on to do brilliant things – more of our graduates have entered highly skilled employment than those from any other UK university for each of the last four years.
And how proud we should be, to be a city that attracts such excellent people: students who provide not only economic contributions but also far-reaching social and cultural benefits. Those who go abroad after graduating retain a connection to this city and country that is a source of tremendous ongoing international influence.
But today's students face significant challenges that didn't exist when I was an undergraduate. Considerable financial pressures with high tuition fees; maintenance loans that rarely cover living costs, meaning many have to take outside paid employment and struggle to engage fully in the student experience.
Reflecting wider societal pressures, mental health challenges among university students have reached crisis levels with long waits for NHS support.
At Nottingham, we are working hard to put our students at the very heart of everything we do - to support them, inspire them, help them realise their ambitions, and give them the experiences and opportunities they deserve.
That’s why I am particularly proud of our Student Living Strategy which is a partnership with Nottingham Trent University and the City Council, designed to build stronger links between students and the city for mutual benefit.
Which brings me nicely to our role as an anchor institution in the region.
I know there are many of our friends and partners from across the region with us here this evening. Thank you for coming and for your continued support.
This is a great region with an enviable history and a bright future and I know we are all immensely proud of our community and what we have to offer.
But our region faces significant challenges. Our GDP per capita at £27,000 is well below the UK average of £33,000. Our unemployment rates exceed national averages. Life expectancy falls below national figures.
If we truly want to be a university for Nottingham and the East Midlands, we need to ask ourselves: How can we contribute to the growth of the local economy and improve the health and wellbeing of the people around us?
I believe there is a real opportunity to do this given the focus on regions through the mayoral combined authority, the Devolution White Paper, and local government reorganisation.
When I speak with our new mayor, one word keeps coming up: skills.
The evidence is clear - regions with more graduates show higher productivity. We in the East Midlands are down here. And the best way to keep graduates in a region is to educate them there.
Together with Nottingham Trent University and the University of Derby, we're building a regional talent pipeline that spans the entire skills spectrum.
I’m also proud of our cultural contribution to the city, for example through the Lakeside Arts Centre (I’d strongly encourage you to go and visit the Cosmic Titans exhibition shown here), or through our collaboration with the BBC concert orchestra with NTU, which brings world class music to our city and to our schools.
We also ensure that our research activity has real-world impact.
At the University of Nottingham we deliver £100 million of innovation activity each year through commercialisation, business partnerships, and industry co-location. Some of the businesses we work with, and our spin outs are shown on this slide.
Our economic impact in the East Midlands last year alone was £1.3 billion.
So we already do well, but we can and will do more. We have huge strengths in the priorities named in the East Midlands Combined Authority's growth plan: Clean Energy, Advanced Transport Manufacturing, MedTech and Life Sciences, and the Creative Economy. By aligning our efforts, I believe we can play a crucial role in regenerating the region.
One area where we're investing significant effort is bridging the gap in research translation. The UK excels at early-stage R&D but often falters at prototype demonstration and scale-up. We have brilliant ideas but miss the tools to share them with the world and derive economic benefit.
That's why we opened our Zero Carbon Innovation Centre this month. We're creating technologies with significant export potential, attracting new firms to invest in large-scale production, and creating high-value jobs focused on green skills. It's one of the many ways we contribute to our local and national community.
And in the last few minutes I want to talk about our activity as a global university. And what does that mean in a world that seems increasingly divided?
We launched the UK's first overseas campus in Malaysia 25 years ago and our campus in Ningbo in China five years later. But our global approach isn’t just about geographic location – it means fostering a global mindset - encouraging our community to think, feel, and act 'globally.' It means taking responsibility and using our scholarship for the global public and environmental good.
Of course the challenge is that we are negotiating a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape where information is abundant but truth is elusive.
This is where universities become vital. We must be lighthouses of verified knowledge in a sea of misinformation. We must teach critical thinking. We must practice what is sometimes called "knowledge diplomacy" - using education and research to strengthen international relations and address global challenges. That’s not an easy task – some of the issues are shown on this slide.
Going back to Jesse Boot, our founding charter established the University of Nottingham as a place devoted to discovery in advancement of the human condition. Research and discovery are at the heart of what we do, and the reason we conduct that research is to create a better world for all who live in it.
So we are a global university, yes, in ways that can be measured by our three campuses, our academic reputation, the diversity of our community, and our research impact. But more than that, it’s in our DNA.
Remember that labour ward I mentioned? Here's what it taught me about leadership:
First, the work matters profoundly. Whether bringing new life into the world or nurturing knowledge, what we do changes lives.
Second, it's all about teamwork. Leaders can only succeed through the work of their teams.
Third, trust is essential: leaders need to be authentic and empathic, as well as technically competent.
Fourth, stakeholder engagement is crucial. Everyone has a voice that deserves to be heard.
And finally, no matter how carefully you plan, "stuff happens." The key is agility - predicting early when things are deviating from the expected path and responding promptly and confidently.
These are challenging times for universities. But I firmly believe we can transform these challenges into opportunities - if we approach them thoughtfully, collaboratively, and with unwavering commitment to our values.
Partnerships and collaboration will be key to all we do, and I look forward to working with civic leaders, our local Nottingham community and our many other partners around the world as we shape the future.
The future shouldn’t be something that just happens to us – our best future will be one we create together. As a civic anchor and global force, the University of Nottingham isn't just preparing for tomorrow - we're helping build it.
And I couldn't be more excited to build that future with all of you.
Thank you for listening, and thank you to the many people who have helped me along the way.