Vision and ambition

Swansea University has a clear vision to be a research-led university of international quality.

In 2004, the University launched a set of policies designed to accelerate the pace of its development. The "Strategic Directions" policies were ambitious, and were designed to address Swansea's competitive position with the UK higher education sector. They targeted improving the University's research performance prior to the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), creating robust academic units that attracted and retained the best staff.

The results of the RAE 2008 showed that:

• The University achieved the highest growth in world-leading and international quality research activity in the UK - a 207% increase on the 2001 RAE. (The average increase in England was 6%.)
• Civil Engineering ranked second in the UK, General Engineering ranked fifth.
• Medicine ranked seventh in the UK.
• Computer Science ranked 21st in the UK.
• Within Wales, out of 31 subject areas, Swansea ranked first in 17 areas, and first or second in 24 areas.

In 2009, the University published a new, five-year Strategic Plan that builds on the success of the RAE and which provides a comprehensive framework for action. The Plan, whcih can be downloaded from the link on the right) identifies four key strategic aims:

• To develop an international reputation for research, teaching, and collaborative links with industry.
• To be one of the UK's top 30 research-led universities.
• To equip students for personal and professional achievement.
• To be a powerhouse for growth in the regional economy.