Leicester Students Union © Martine Hamilton Knight

Some universities consider their primary purpose to be high quality research, others concentrate on excellent teaching. Here at Leicester we think that the two are not only complementary, they’re inseparable. We believe that teaching is more inspirational when delivered by passionate scholars engaged in world-changing research – and that research is stronger when delivered in an academic community that includes students.

We think that a university should be about empowering people to explore what they don’t know. We achieve this through passionate, dedicated research and teaching. When we were named University of the Year for 2008-9 by the Times Higher Education, the judges applauded Leicester’s very different approach, calling us “elite without being elitist”. Of Britain’s top 15 universities only one – Leicester – exceeds its government benchmarks for inclusivity.

The New David Wilson Library on Campus

Our dedication to providing an excellent student experience can be seen in our consistent performance in the National Student Survey. In 2010 89% of our full-time students were satisfied with their course (98% in Geosciences).

With these ideas at heart, Leicester is reframing the values that govern academia and re-defining what a university needs to be in the 21st century; we are constantly finding new ways of being a leading university.