University of Staffordshire: Innovation, celebration, and community impact in 2025
As we step into 2025, the University of Staffordshire has much to celebrate, with a series of groundbreaking initiatives, inspiring events, and community-focused projects that continue to shape our identity as a forward-thinking, civic institution.
A digital milestone: The launch of StaffsVerse
Among our proudest achievements is the launch of StaffsVerse, our innovative virtual campus hosted within the globally popular game Fortnite. Created by our talented games students, this dynamic digital space allows visitors to explore the external environment of our Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford, and London campuses interactively.
This comes hot on the heels of our university being named Best Educational Institution at the TIGA Games Industry Awards in November, a testament to our exceptional talent and commitment to excellence in games education. This accolade reflects our status as the UK’s number one university for games design and development.
Our students’ creativity and technical expertise are exemplified in the development of StaffsVerse, which offers a completely new way for prospective students to experience university life remotely. From exploring our external campuses to engaging in virtual workshops, StaffsVerse provides an inclusive and interactive alternative to physical open days, ensuring that no one misses out on discovering what our university has to offer.
This immersive digital environment not only highlights our students’ skills but also represents a bold step forward in digital education. We are excited to build on this success, expanding the platform to demonstrate how a university rooted in innovation can harness digital spaces to connect, inspire, and educate in bold new ways.
Inspiring curiosity: TEDxUniversityofStaffordshire
In May, University of Staffordshire will host its third TEDx event at The Catalyst, themed “Adventures into the Unknown.” This event promises to be one of our most inspiring yet, inviting speakers from diverse backgrounds to share groundbreaking ideas and personal insights.
Applications are now open for those interested in taking part. TEDx celebrates the power of storytelling, aligning with our values of curiosity, creativity, and personal growth. Our previous events have featured voices such as British middleweight boxing champion Nathan Heaney and playwright Deborah McAndrew, and we look forward to another powerful line-up this year.
Celebrating business excellence: The University of Staffordshire Business Awards 2025
This year also marks the return of the University of Staffordshire Business Awards, recognising outstanding businesses and individuals driving innovation and community impact across the region. With 13 categories, including the newly introduced Start-Up Business of the Year, the awards celebrate success stories that inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.
The campaign launched with a special breakfast event featuring university alumnus Andrew Pear, CEO of Reliance Medical. His reflections on entrepreneurial success, including a £20 million growth milestone, were a reminder of the incredible talent within our network.
Commitment to sustainability: QS World University Rankings
The university has recently made its debut in the prestigious QS World University Sustainability Rankings 2025, a global measure of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impact among institutions. Ranked 911-920 out of 1,744 universities worldwide and 75th in the UK, this achievement underscores our growing commitment to sustainability.
Our strongest performance came in the Governance category, highlighting the university’s dedication to transparent and responsible operations. As part of our ongoing sustainability efforts, we will continue to review and expand our publicly available policies, ensuring we lead by example in addressing global challenges.
Advancing social mobility: Climbing the ranks in the Social Mobility Index
The university also continues to lead the way in championing social mobility. We recently climbed into the top 20 of the English Social Mobility Index 2024, ranking 16th out of 101 institutions – a rise of 24 places from the previous year.
With 62% of our students being the first in their families to attend university, this achievement reflects our unwavering commitment to connecting talent with opportunity. Our new Access and Participation Plan (2024-2028) focuses on providing enhanced student support, wellbeing services, and employability outcomes, further strengthening our mission to create positive educational gains for all students.
Stoke-on-Trent Centenary: Honouring the city’s legacy
This year holds special significance as Stoke-on-Trent celebrates its centenary since receiving city status from King George V. The University of Staffordshire is proud to be part of the celebrations, contributing to a year-long series of events honouring the city’s cultural richness and industrial heritage.
Shaping the future together
Whether through digital innovation or community recognition, University of Staffordshire remains committed to driving progress and collaboration throughout 2025. As we continue to celebrate success stories and explore new horizons, we look forward to further strengthening our partnerships across the Midlands and beyond.
Signed
Professor Martin Jones
Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, University of Staffordshire
