Anglia Polytechnic
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Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is a
public research university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...
in the region of
East Anglia East Anglia is an area of the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, with parts of Essex sometimes also included. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, ...
, United Kingdom. Its origins date back to the Cambridge School of Art (CSA), founded by
William John Beamont William John Beamont (1828–1868) was an England, English clergyman, founder of Anglia Ruskin University, the Cambridge School of Art, current Anglia Ruskin University, and author. Early life and education Beamont was born at Warrington, Lancas ...
, a Fellow of
Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...
at the
University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
, in 1858. The institution became a university in 1992 and was renamed after
John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English polymath a writer, lecturer, art historian, art critic, draughtsman and philanthropist of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as art, architecture, Critique of politic ...
, the
Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...
professor and author, in 2005. Ruskin delivered the inaugural speech at the Cambridge School of Art in 1858. ARU is classified as one of the "post-1992 universities." The university's motto is in Latin: ''Excellentia per societatem'', which translates to ''Excellence through partnership'' in English. , Anglia Ruskin had 35,195 students. ARU has six campuses across the south-eastern portion of the United Kingdom in
Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfor ...
,
Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
, and
Greater London Greater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with the London region, containing most of the continuous urban area of London. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a Ceremonial count ...
.


History

Anglia Ruskin University has its origins in the Cambridge School of Art, founded by
William John Beamont William John Beamont (1828–1868) was an England, English clergyman, founder of Anglia Ruskin University, the Cambridge School of Art, current Anglia Ruskin University, and author. Early life and education Beamont was born at Warrington, Lancas ...
in 1858. The inaugural address was given by
John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English polymath a writer, lecturer, art historian, art critic, draughtsman and philanthropist of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as art, architecture, Critique of politic ...
, who is often incorrectly described as the founder. The original location was near
Sidney Sussex College Sidney Sussex College (historically known as "Sussex College" and today referred to informally as "Sidney") is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England. The College was founded in 1 ...
, but it later moved to its current location on East Road, Cambridge. Drawing was central to its curriculum, reflecting Ruskin's philosophy on art and education. In the 1920s, the governing body included two remarkable pioneers in the civic history of Cambridge:
Clara Rackham Clara Dorothea Rackham (3 December 1875 – 11 March 1966) was an English feminist and politician active in the women's suffrage movement, the Women's Co-operative Guild, the peace movement, adult education, family planning and the labour moveme ...
and Lilian Mellish Clarke, after whom buildings on the East Road campus were later named.
Danbury Place Danbury Place was an English country house, first built by Sir Walter Mildmay in the time of Elizabeth I, dated to 1589. It is situated on one of the highest points of the county of Essex. The house was demolished and rebuilt on an adjoining sit ...
, constructed by Sir Walter Mildmay in 1589, was owned by ARU from 1974 until 2017. In 1960, this institution became the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology (CCAT). In 1989, CCAT merged with the Essex Institute of Higher Education, which was originally a vocational school named Chelmsford School of Science and Art and later known as Mid Essex Technical College and Chelmer Institute of Higher Education, to form Anglia Higher Education College. The merged college became a polytechnic in 1991, adopting the name Anglia Polytechnic, and was awarded university status in 1992. Initially called Anglia Polytechnic University (APU), it retained the term 'polytechnic' in its title because it symbolized the type of education known for equipping students with practical skills for the workforce. However, in 2000 there was some uncertainty about including 'polytechnic' in the title since it was the only university in the country to do so. Wanting to keep the 'APU' abbreviation, a suggestion put forward by the governors was 'Anglia Prior University' (after a former Chancellor
Jim Prior James Michael Leathes Prior, Baron Prior, (11 October 1927 – 12 December 2016) was a British Conservative Party politician. A Member of Parliament from 1959 to 1987, he represented the Suffolk constituency of Lowestoft until 1983 and then ...
), but the Governors decided to keep 'polytechnic' in the title. The university eventually reconsidered a name change and chose Anglia Ruskin University, incorporating John Ruskin's surname into the title. This change took effect following approval from the Privy Council on 29 September 2005. In 2007 ARU entered into partnership with London College of Accountancy (LCA; founded in 2000). This resulted in the creation of ARU London. In October 2023, Anglia Ruskin University became the first university in the United Kingdom to sign UNISON's Anti-Racism Charter. In 2024,
Writtle University College Writtle University College was a university college located in Writtle near Chelmsford, Essex. It was founded in 1893 and obtained University College status in May 2016. In July 2023, Writtle University College announced a merger with Anglia ...
merged with Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), becoming ARU Writtle. In 2025, ARU became the host institution for the Arc Universities Group (AUG) – a partnership delivering innovation, sustainability and inclusive growth across the Oxford-Cambridge corridor. Former students include the Victorian poet
Augusta Webster Augusta Webster (30 January 1837 – 5 September 1894) born in Poole, Dorset as Julia Augusta Davies, was an English poet, dramatist, essayist, and translator. She is known for her translations of the works of Aeschylus and Euripides. Biograp ...
, who signed
John Stuart Mill John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 – 7 May 1873) was an English philosopher, political economist, politician and civil servant. One of the most influential thinkers in the history of liberalism and social liberalism, he contributed widely to s ...
's petition for women's suffrage in 1866. Past lecturers include Odile Crick, the wife of
Francis Crick Francis Harry Compton Crick (8 June 1916 – 28 July 2004) was an English molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist. He, James Watson, Rosalind Franklin, and Maurice Wilkins played crucial roles in deciphering the Nucleic acid doub ...
, who created the iconic image of DNA. The musician
Syd Barrett Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English singer, guitarist and songwriter who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. Until his departure in 1968, he was Pink Floyd's frontman and primary songwriter, ...
, songwriter and lead guitarist of the band
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...
, is also an alumnus. Author
Tom Sharpe Thomas Ridley Sharpe (30 March 1928 – 6 June 2013) was an English satire, satirical novelist, best known for his ''Wilt (novel), Wilt'' series, as well as ''Porterhouse Blue'' and ''Blott on the Landscape,'' all three of which were adapted fo ...
served as a lecturer in history at CCAT from 1963 to 1972, and Anne Campbell, the Labour MP for Cambridge from 1992 to 2005, was previously a lecturer in statistics at CCAT. Lord
Michael Ashcroft Michael Anthony Ashcroft, Baron Ashcroft, (born 4 March 1946) is a British-Belizean businessman, pollster and politician. He is a former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. Ashcroft founded Michael A. Ashcroft Associates in 1972 and wa ...
is an alumnus of ARU and he served as the Chancellor of the university for 20 years. The business school buildings in Cambridge and Chelmsford are named after him.


Controversies

In a
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
article from 3 June 2014, it was reported that Anglia Ruskin University received more complaints and appeals from its students than any of the other 120 universities that responded to freedom of information requests. In the 2012/13 academic year, the university received 992 "complaints and appeals." In response, Lesley Dobree, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), stated that only 9 of the 992 recorded complaints were actual complaints; the others were protests regarding examination and assignment marking.


Pok Wong

In 2019, Hongkonger Pok Wong, a 2014 graduate of Anglia Ruskin University, received a £61,000 out-of-court settlement from the university after suing for false advertising, alleging a low quality of teaching. The university has maintained that the payout does not indicate fault on its part. In 2018, the London County Court ruled in favor of the university and ordered Wong to pay £13,700 of Anglia Ruskin's legal costs. However, the university's insurers later contacted Wong and offered to settle her £15,000 claim while covering her legal costs. Anglia Ruskin added that it did not support the decision made by its insurer's solicitors.


Retracting Junius Ho's honorary award

Anglia Ruskin University awarded
Junius Ho Junius Ho Kwan-yiu (; born 4 June 1962) is a Hong Kong lawyer and politician who currently serves as a member in the Hong Kong Legislative Council. A prominent radical pro-Beijing and anti-gay rights figure in Hong Kong’s political landsca ...
, a pro-Beijing lawmaker in Hong Kong, an Honorary Doctor of Laws in 2011. During the
2019–2020 Hong Kong protests The 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests (also known by other names) were a series of demonstrations against the Hong Kong government's introduction of a bill to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance in regard to extradition. It was the largest ...
, Ho was accused of supporting those who committed the
2019 Yuen Long attack The 2019 Yuen Long attack, also known as the 721 incident, refers to a mob attack that occurred in Yuen Long, a town in the New Territories of Hong Kong, on the evening of 21 July 2019. It took place in the context of the 2019–2020 Hong K ...
. In response to Ho's controversial speech,
David Alton David Patrick Paul Alton, Baron Alton of Liverpool, (born 15 March 1951) is a British-Irish politician, formerly a Member of Parliament for the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party and later Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrat who has sat as ...
wrote to the university regarding the matter. Lord Alton urged the university to revoke Ho's honorary doctoral degree. The university confirmed that Ho was stripped of his degree on 29 October 2019.


Tory donation

In 2024, ARU London accidentally paid £50,000 to the Conservative Party. The donation was intended as a personal contribution from the chairman of ARU London Ravi Gill.


Campuses

The university has campuses in
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
,
Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Colchester and Southend-on-Sea. It is located north-east of London ...
,
Writtle Writtle is a village and civil parish west of Chelmsford, Essex, England. It has a traditional village green complete with duck pond and a Norman church, and was once described as "one of the loveliest villages in England, with a ravishing va ...
,
Peterborough Peterborough ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. The city is north of London, on the River Nene. A ...
, and
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
.


Cambridge

Anglia Ruskin University's Cambridge campus is located between the historic city center of Cambridge and the suburb of Romsey Town. The campus features a blend of modern facilities and historical architecture, including the original building of the Cambridge School of Art. The Cambridge campus underwent significant redevelopment, beginning with the refurbishment of the main building, Helmore, which was named after Roy Helmore, the principal of the Cambridge College of Arts and Technology from 1977 to 1986. This renovation was completed in 2006. In 2009, one of the university's largest buildings, Rackham, located in the campus center, was demolished to make way for the new Lord Ashcroft International Business School. The new business school was inaugurated in 2011. The Mumford Theatre, situated at the heart of the campus, continues to host a diverse range of professional touring, local community, and student theatre productions for both the public and university members. From 2015, a new building known as Young Street (named for its location between Young Street and New Street) began hosting nursing and health courses, including midwifery, paramedic studies, and operating department practice (ODP). This building is also home to the university's Music Therapy Centre. As of 2015, all sports, computing, and technology courses were relocated to the newly established Compass House building, which is situated approximately 0.3 miles (0.5 km) along East Road from the main campus. Anglia Ruskin's Cambridge Campus is home to one of only nine optometry schools in the UK, featuring its own optometry clinic. A new building for film and TV is set to be constructed on a university campus.


Ruskin Gallery

The Ruskin Gallery is the university's public art gallery, and admission is free. Exhibits have included both historic and contemporary art, as well as works by students and staff. The gallery is surrounded by studios for fine art, illustration, design, and media. On 9 May 2011, the Ruskin Gallery unveiled its new digital gallery, which displays art in a digital format on high-definition screens, including the world's first Panasonic 103" 3D Full HD plasma screen.


Chelmsford

Anglia Ruskin University's Chelmsford campus is situated in the city's University and Innovation Quarter, along the river. The campus features modern buildings that house facilities including Essex's first School of Medicine, which opened in 2019. The Chelmsford campus houses several notable buildings, including the Queen's Building (opened in 1995) and the Sawyer's Building (opened in 2001). Queen
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
inaugurated the Queen's Building. In 2003,
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British royal family. He is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest sibling of K ...
, opened the Michael A. Ashcroft Building, which was later renamed the Lord Ashcroft Building. The Chelmsford Central campus closed at the end of the 2007/08 academic year, with all facilities moving to the new buildings at the Rivermead campus (now called Chelmsford Campus) on Bishop Hall Lane. Three buildings were preserved: the East Building (built in 1931), the Frederick Chancellor Building (built in 1902), named after architect Frederic Chancellor, and the Grade II-listed Anne Knight Building, named after social reformer
Anne Knight Anne Knight (2 November 1786 – 4 November 1862)Edward H. Milligan: Knight, Anne (1786–1862). ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (Oxford: OUP, 2004Retrieved 4 November 2010./ref> was an English social reformer, abolitionist and pion ...
, (constructed in the mid-19th century), which was used by
Quakers Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestantism, Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally ...
. The East and Frederick Chancellor buildings are located within a conservation area, meaning they cannot be demolished without planning permission due to their historical significance in the early days of higher education in Essex. The site is currently vacant because the recession halted development that had been planned for many years; however, new plans have been released by Genesis Housing, which currently owns the site. The campus expanded further with the addition of the Mildmay Sports Centre and the Tindal Building in 2005, followed by the William Harvey Building in 2007. The Faculty Building, opened in 2008, was renamed the Marconi Building in 2011, named after inventor
Guglielmo Marconi Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi, 1st Marquess of Marconi ( ; ; 25 April 1874 – 20 July 1937) was an Italian electrical engineer, inventor, and politician known for his creation of a practical radio wave-based Wireless telegraphy, wireless tel ...
. The Postgraduate Medical Institute building, opened in 2011, was later named the Michael Salmon Building in 2017, named after former vice-chancellor, professor Michael Salmon. Construction of Essex's first School of Medicine began in May 2017, and the facility was officially opened in 2019 by
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick; born 9 October 1935) is a member of the British royal family. The elder son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, he is a grandson of George ...
.


London

ARU London has two locations. The Farringdon Building is situated on
Charterhouse Street Charterhouse Street is a street on the north side of Smithfield in the City of London. The road forms part of the City’s boundary with the neighbouring London Boroughs of Islington and Camden. It connects Charterhouse Square and Holborn C ...
in
Holborn Holborn ( or ), an area in central London, covers the south-eastern part of the London Borough of Camden and a part (St Andrew Holborn (parish), St Andrew Holborn Below the Bars) of the Wards of the City of London, Ward of Farringdon Without i ...
, which borders the
City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...
. The East India Building is located in the former
East India Docks The East India Docks were a group of docks in Blackwall in east London, north-east of the Isle of Dogs. Today only the entrance basin and listed perimeter wall remain visible. History Early history Following the successful creation of the ...
, adjacent to
Canary Wharf Canary Wharf is a financial area of London, England, located in the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The Greater London Authority defines it as part of London's central business district, alongside Central London. Alongside ...
in the
London Borough of Tower Hamlets The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London boroughs, borough in London, England. Situated on the north bank of the River Thames and immediately east of the City of London, the borough spans much of the traditional East End of London and ...
. The Farringdon Building is located in the heart of central London, near the city's business and financial district. This campus has facilities, including lecture theatres, seminar rooms, PC-equipped study areas, and a library. The East India Building is situated in the Docklands area of East London, having undergone a significant refurbishment. It offers teaching spaces and communal work areas spread over four floors. Both campuses provide a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs in subjects such as business, law, and finance.


Peterborough

Anglia Ruskin University Peterborough campus, which opened in September 2022, is a purpose-built institution located close to the city center of Peterborough. The campus features a simulated hospital ward, science laboratories, and engineering labs. On 14 July 2020, the Minister of State for Universities,
Michelle Donelan Michelle Emma May Elizabeth Donelan (born 8 April 1984) is a British former politician who served as Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology from July 2023 to July 2024, having previously served in the position from February to ...
, announced Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) as the official higher education partner for a new employment-focused university in Peterborough. This initiative is a collaboration between the
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority is a combined authority covering the ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire in the East of England. The authority was established on 3 March 2017. The authority is led by the directly elected may ...
(CPCA) and
Peterborough City Council Peterborough City Council is the local authority for Peterborough, a local government district with city status in the ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. Peterborough has had a council since 1874, which has been reformed several time ...
(PCC). The campus will also include a materials and manufacturing research and development center operated by 3D printing specialists Photocentric, who have partnered with the CPCA to create the facility on the new Peterborough university campus. ARU Peterborough opened in 2022, with University House being the first building on the campus. The Peterborough Research & Innovation Centre opened in 2024. In the same year, XRP eXtended Reality Peterborough was inaugurated by writer
Sandi Toksvig Sandra Birgitte Toksvig (; ; born 3 May 1958) is a Danish-British broadcaster, comedian, presenter and writer on British radio, stage and television. She is also a political activist, having co-founded the Women's Equality Party in 2015. She ha ...
OBE. The second teaching building, which includes specialized facilities for biomedical sciences and engineering, as well as a Living Lab, was completed in August 2024.


Writtle

Anglia Ruskin University Writtle campus, located in the Essex countryside near Chelmsford, is an educational facility that specialises in land-based, animal sciences, and sport-related programs. The campus spans 150 hectares and features a variety of facilities, including a working farm, equine center, science laboratories, and design studios. ARU Writtle offers postgraduate, undergraduate, further education, and short courses in agriculture and animal sciences, with a working farm, a specialist small animal unit, and an equine centre on campus. The institution has also developed a range of degree programmes in applied life sciences, sport, and health subjects. Students have been recognized multiple times by the
Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...
, including awards at the
RHS Chelsea Flower Show The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the Great Spring Show,Phil Clayton, ''The Great Temple Show'' in ''The Garden'' 2008, p.452, The Royal Horticultural Society is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural So ...
in London. In 2023, Anglia Ruskin University and
Writtle University College Writtle University College was a university college located in Writtle near Chelmsford, Essex. It was founded in 1893 and obtained University College status in May 2016. In July 2023, Writtle University College announced a merger with Anglia ...
announced a merger. Writtle University College would become ARU Writtle. The official merger took place on 29 February 2024.


Student Housing

The Cambridge campus features several accommodations, including Anastasia House, Peter Taylor House, Swinhoe House Hall of Residence, the Railyard, Sedley Court, CB1, and various university houses located throughout the city. The Chelmsford campus features the Chelmsford Student Village. At the new Peterborough campus, students utilise private-sector accommodation. Students at ARU London utilise private-sector accommodation.


Organisation and administration


Governance


Chancellors

*
James Prior James Michael Leathes Prior, Baron Prior, (11 October 1927 – 12 December 2016) was a British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party politician. A Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament from 1959 to 1987, he represe ...
(1992-1999) *
Michael Ashcroft Michael Anthony Ashcroft, Baron Ashcroft, (born 4 March 1946) is a British-Belizean businessman, pollster and politician. He is a former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. Ashcroft founded Michael A. Ashcroft Associates in 1972 and wa ...
(2001–2020) * Bernard Ribeiro (2021–)


Vice chancellors

* Michael Salmon (1992-1995) * Mike Malone-Lee (1995-2004) * Michael Thorne (2007–2016) * Iain Martin (2016–2018) *
Roderick Watkins Roderick Watkins, DL (born 1964) is a composer and the Vice Chancellor (and former Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation)) at Anglia Ruskin University, England. He was appointed to the University in 2014 and served briefly as Pro-Vic ...
(2019–)


Faculties and Schools

There are four Faculties at Anglia Ruskin University: * Faculty of Business and Law * Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education & Social Sciences * Faculty of Health, Medicine & Social Care * Faculty of Science & Engineering


Faculty of Business and Law

The Faculty of Business and Law is located in Cambridge, Chelmsford, Peterborough, and London. The faculty has two schools, the School of Economics, Finance and Law, and the School of Management. In 2014, Bloomberg Financial Markets Lab was opened for finance, banking, accounting, and economics students at the Chelmsford campus. During his tenure as Chancellor,
Lord Ashcroft Michael Anthony Ashcroft, Baron Ashcroft, (born 4 March 1946) is a British-Belizean businessman, pollster and politician. He is a former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. Ashcroft founded Michael A. Ashcroft Associates in 1972 and was ...
made donations totaling £10 million to construct two facilities for the Lord Ashcroft International Business School in Chelmsford and Cambridge. The Lord Ashcroft Building in Chelmsford was inaugurated by
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British royal family. He is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest sibling of K ...
, in 2003, while the Lord Ashcroft Building in Cambridge was opened in 2011. In 2022, the ARU Certificate for Professional Development achieved third place out of over 70 submissions for the Most Innovative Approach to Developing Employability Skills at the Pearson HE Innovate Awards. In 2022, the Faculty of Business and Law was awarded the Small Business Charter Award. The business school has an Entrepreneurs in Residence program. In 2023, X-Forces Enterprise joined the program as a strategic partner.


Faculty of Science & Technology

The Faculty of Science and Technology has six departments spread across the Cambridge, Chelmsford, and Writtle campuses. The Faculty of Science and Engineering consists of six schools: the School of Computing and Information Science, the School of Engineering and the Built Environment, the School of Life Sciences, the School of Psychology, the School of Sport and Sensory Science, and the Writtle School of Agriculture, Animal and Environmental Sciences. The Department of Built Environment is a multidisciplinary department and is located at the Chelmsford campus. The Department of Computing and Technology is located at both the Chelmsford and Cambridge campuses. The department maintains close links with the electronics, software, automotive, and creative industries and is a
Cisco Cisco Systems, Inc. (using the trademark Cisco) is an American multinational digital communications technology conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California. Cisco develops, manufactures, and sells networking hardware, s ...
Systems Regional Networking Academy. The Department of Life Sciences is located at the Cambridge campus. Teaching equipment includes laboratories, gas and liquid chromatographic systems, and facilities for drug analysis, toxicology, fire investigation, and DNA analysis. The Department of Psychology is based at the Cambridge campus. The Department of Vision and Hearing Sciences is based at the Cambridge Campus for Optometry and Ophthalmic Dispensing. Research in Psychology, Vision, and Environmental Sciences was rated as world-leading or of international quality in the 2008 UK Research Assessment Exercise. Notable successes include the discovery of new animal species, the design of new car bonnets for improved pedestrian safety, and leading studies on the toxic effects of
benzylpiperazine Benzylpiperazine (BZP) is a substance often used as a recreational drug and is known to have euphoriant and stimulant properties. Several studies conducted between 2000 and 2011 found that the effects of BZP are similar to amphetamine, although ...
(BZP). In 2023, the Peterborough Innovation and Research Centre launched XRP eXtended Reality Peterborough, an immersive learning environment.


Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education & Social Sciences

The Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences was formed in 2023, bringing together four schools: the Cambridge School of Art, the Cambridge School of Creative Industries, the School of Education, and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. It is also home to three research institutes: the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research (CIMTR), the International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute (IPPPRI), and StoryLab. The Cambridge School of Art was opened in 1858 by the renowned art critic and professor
John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English polymath a writer, lecturer, art historian, art critic, draughtsman and philanthropist of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as art, architecture, Critique of politic ...
.
Edward Bawden Edward Bawden, (10 March 1903 – 21 November 1989) was an English painter, illustrator and graphic artist, known for his prints, book covers, posters, and garden metalwork furniture. Bawden taught at the Royal College of Art, where he had be ...
, a distinguished graphic artist and printmaker studied here in the 1920s.
Ronald Searle Ronald William Fordham Searle (3 March 1920 – 30 December 2011) was an English artist and satirical cartoonist, comics artist, sculptor, medal designer and illustrator. He is perhaps best remembered as the creator of St Trinian's School and f ...
, creator of the ''St Trinian’s'' books, attended during the 1930s.
Gustav Metzger Gustav Metzger (10 April 1926, Nuremberg – 1 March 2017, London) was a statelessness, stateless artist and political activist who developed the concept of Auto-Destructive Art and the Art Strike. Together with John Sharkey, he initiated the ...
, a pioneer of
auto-destructive art Auto-destructive art (ADA) is a form of art invented by Gustav Metzger, an artist born in Bavaria who moved to Britain in 1939. Taking place after World War II, Metzger wanted to showcase the destruction created from the war through his artwork. Th ...
, studied in the 1940s. In 1953, in collaboration with
Francis Crick Francis Harry Compton Crick (8 June 1916 – 28 July 2004) was an English molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist. He, James Watson, Rosalind Franklin, and Maurice Wilkins played crucial roles in deciphering the Nucleic acid doub ...
and
James D. Watson James Dewey Watson (born April 6, 1928) is an American molecular biologist, geneticist, and zoologist. In 1953, he co-authored with Francis Crick the academic paper in ''Nature'' proposing the double helix structure of the DNA molecule. Wats ...
at Cambridge University, lecturer Odile Crick drew the original sketch to illustrate the complex concept of DNA’s
double-helix In molecular biology, the term double helix refers to the structure formed by double-stranded molecules of nucleic acids such as DNA. The double helical structure of a nucleic acid complex arises as a consequence of its secondary structure, a ...
. Cambridge School of Art was home to students including, caricaturists
Roger Law Roger Law (born 6 September 1941) is a British caricaturist, ceramicist and one half of ''Luck and Flaw'' (with Peter Fluck), creators of the popular satirical TV puppet show '' Spitting Image''. Roger Law was a pioneer in bringing politica ...
and
Peter Fluck Peter Nigel Fluck (born 7 April 1941) is a British caricaturist and one half of the partnership known as ''Luck and Flaw'' (with Roger Law), creators of the popular satirical TV puppet show '' Spitting Image''. He attended Cambridgeshire Hi ...
, known for their work on TV’s ''Spitting Image'', as well as
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...
members
Syd Barrett Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English singer, guitarist and songwriter who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. Until his departure in 1968, he was Pink Floyd's frontman and primary songwriter, ...
and
David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter who is a member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined in 1967, shortly before the departure of the founder member Syd Barrett. By the early 1980s, Pink F ...
, who played one of their first gigs in 1966 from the balcony of what is now the illustration studios. Cambridge School of Art is known worldwide for its MA in Children's Book Illustration. Anglia Ruskin is a member of the Creative East. In 2023, Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Cambridge formed a partnership to support PhD researchers in the social sciences.


Faculty of Health, Medicine & Social Care

The Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Social Care comprises four schools: the School of Allied Health and Social Care, the School of Medicine, the School of Midwifery and Community Health, and the School of Nursing. On 10 October 2016, Anglia Ruskin University announced plans to open Essex's first School of Medicine at its Chelmsford campus. The purpose-built medical school would be the first undergraduate medical school in Essex and would cost £20 million to construct. It is designed to include skills facilities, specialized teaching spaces, a lecture theatre, and a cadaveric anatomy suite. On 19 May 2017, Anglia Ruskin University announced that it had begun construction on the purpose-built medical school at its Chelmsford campus, which was scheduled to open in September 2018. Clare Panniker, Chief Executive of
Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provided healthcare for people in south west Essex, in the East of England. There were two hospitals in the trust, a specialist cardiothoracic centre and one clinical centre: Basild ...
,
Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust was an NHS trust which ran Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, St Peter's Hospital in Maldon, St Michael's Hospital in Braintree and formerly St John's Hospital in Chelmsford until its closure in 2010. A ...
, and Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, attended the event alongside other officials. On 21 September 2017, the university announced that the
General Medical Council The General Medical Council (GMC) is a public body that maintains the official register of physician, medical practitioners within the United Kingdom. Its chief responsibility is to "protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the pu ...
had approved its curriculum and that it now had official School of Medicine status. In 2019, the school was formally opened by
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick; born 9 October 1935) is a member of the British royal family. The elder son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, he is a grandson of George ...
. In 2022, ARU founded the first university hub in the UK for
Samaritans Samaritans (; ; ; ), are an ethnoreligious group originating from the Hebrews and Israelites of the ancient Near East. They are indigenous to Samaria, a historical region of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah that ...
, a charity for emotional support. In 2023, Anglia Ruskin University was rated tenth among the top ten British universities for social work by ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' newspaper.


Research Institutes

Anglia Ruskin has six research institutes. * Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research * Global Sustainability Institute * Policing Institute for the Eastern Region * StoryLab Research Institute * Veterans and Families Research Institute * Vision and Eye Research Institute (formerly Vision and Eye Research Unit, VERU)


Partnerships

National partners are School of Osteopathy in London,
Cambridge Regional College Cambridge Regional College is a mixed further education college in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England. College profile The college offers courses in a wide range of subjects from hair and beauty and mechanics to media studies and science, as ...
,
Cambridge Theological Federation The Cambridge Theological Federation (CTF) is an association of theological colleges, courses and houses based in Cambridge, England and founded in 1972. The federation offers several joint theological programmes of study open to students in mem ...
,
College of West Anglia The College of West Anglia (often abbreviated to CoWA or CWA) is a four-campus college of further and higher education in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, England. The college has three campuses, located in King's Lynn, Milton and Wisbech, Cambridg ...
, Renew Counselling in Chelmsford, and
University Centre Peterborough University Centre Peterborough is a higher education institution with campuses in Peterborough and Stamford, Lincolnshire in the United Kingdom. It is formally part of the Inspire Education Group. Degrees at the Peterborough Campus are accredited ...
. Distance learning partners are CNET Training and Cambridge Spark. International partners are Imperium International College, First City University College, and
MAHSA University Mahsa University is a private medical university in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. It was founded in Pusat Bandar Damansara in 2005 as a college, and was upgraded to university status in 2009. The university offers academic programs in various fields ...
in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and The School of Accounting and Management, located at the University-Town of St Augustine - Trinidad and Tobago. Anglia Ruskin University's past and present working life partners are
NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...
,
British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces are the unified military, military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its British Overseas Territories, Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests ...
,
Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...
,
Essex County Council Essex County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Essex in England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county; the non-metropolitan county excludes Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock which ...
,
UPS UPS most commonly refers to: * Uninterruptible power supply, a device which provides continuous power to electronics * United Parcel Service, an American courier company UPS or ups may also refer to: Companies and organizations United Parcel S ...
,
Barclays Barclays PLC (, occasionally ) is a British multinational universal bank, headquartered in London, England. Barclays operates as two divisions, Barclays UK and Barclays International, supported by a service company, Barclays Execution Services ...
,
Capita Capita plc is an international business process outsourcing and professional services company headquartered in London. It is the largest business process outsourcing and professional services company in the United Kingdom, with an overall ma ...
,
Russian Railways Russian Railways or RZD () is a Russian fully state-owned vertically integrated railway company, both managing infrastructure and operating freight and passenger train services and has a near-monopoly on long-distance train travel in Russia. ...
,
Willmott Dixon Willmott Dixon is a British privately owned contracting, residential development and property support business. History The company was founded at Bassingbourn in Cambridgeshire by a bricklayer, John Willmott, in 1852. During the second half ...
, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, Softwerx, Triangular Alliance, Greenwoods Legal,
Virgin Money Virgin Money may refer to: * Virgin Money (brand), a financial services brand owned by Virgin Group * Virgin Money UK, a British banking and financial services company owned by Nationwide Building Society Nationwide Building Society is a Bri ...
, Timberland,
Volvo The Volvo Group (; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distribution and sale of truck ...
, and
Harrods Harrods is a Listed building, Grade II listed luxury department store on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London, England. It was designed by C. W. Stephens for Charles Digby Harrod, and opened in 1905; it replaced the first store on the ground ...
.


Arise Innovation Hubs

Anglia Ruskin University founded the Arise Innovation Hubs, which are located in Chelmsford and Harlow. These Essex-based innovation hubs promote entrepreneurship and innovation by supporting startups and scaleups.


Anglia Ruskin Enterprise Academy (AREA)

Anglia Ruskin Enterprise Academy (AREA) supports entrepreneurship among university students and alumni. AREA organises the annual #ThinkBigARU business plan competition for students and alumni. The Entrepreneurs' Community connects students with alumni and external entrepreneurs. ARU is accredited by the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (IOEE) and the National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education (NCEE).


Academic profile


Research

The twelve subject areas within Anglia Ruskin University classified by the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 as producing "world-leading" research are: * Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing, and Pharmacy * Architecture, Built Environment, and Planning * Art and Design * History, Practice, and Theory * Business and Management Studies * Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management * English Language and Literature * Geography, Environmental Studies, and Archaeology * History * Law * Music, Drama, Dance, and Performing Arts * Psychology, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience * Social Work and Social Policy


Rankings

* The list, produced by higher education strategy consultants Firetail and published by ''
Times Higher Education ''Times Higher Education'' (''THE''), formerly ''The Times Higher Education Supplement'' (''The THES''), is a British magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education. Ownership TPG Capital acquired TSL Education ...
'', includes Anglia Ruskin University as one of the 20 "rising stars" in global higher education. Anglia Ruskin is the only UK university to feature in the top 20. Nine of the "rising stars" are located in the United States, with universities in Australia, South Korea, Japan, Germany, and Finland completing the list. * Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is ranked within the top 350 universities in the world and ranked joint 38th in the UK by the ''
Times Higher Education World University Rankings The ''Times Higher Education World University Rankings'', often referred to as the THE Rankings, is the annual publication of university rankings by the ''Times Higher Education'' magazine. The publisher had collaborated with Quacquarelli Symon ...
'' ''2020''. * In 2021, Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) was in the top 10% of English higher education institutions (HEIs) for skills, enterprise and entrepreneurship and in the top 20% for local growth and regeneration, according to a report by Research England. * In 2023, the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) revelead that ARU was in top 15% in the country for graduates in employment and/or further study. ARU was ranked 3rd in the country for graduates who are employed as managers, directors or senior officials. * In 2023, Times Higher Education ranked ARU London as 3rd for overall positivity among higher education institutions in the UK. * In 2024, Anglia Ruskin University was ranked among the top 6.8% of universities worldwide.


Awards

* Anglia Ruskin University was awarded a First in the Green League 2012 by People & Planet. The league is based on ten environmental criteria, both policy and performance related. It incorporates data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, including the percentage of waste recycled and CO2 emissions for each individual institution. * Anglia Ruskin University has been named as one of the most upwardly mobile universities in the world. * Anglia Ruskin was awarded Entrepreneurial University of the Year in the 2014 ''Times Higher Education Awards''. * The university won the Duke of York Award for University Entrepreneurship at the
Lloyds Bank Lloyds Bank plc is a major British retail banking, retail and commercial bank with a significant presence across England and Wales. It has traditionally been regarded one of the "Big Four (banking)#England and Wales, Big Four" clearing house ...
National Business Awards 2016. * In 2021, Anglia Ruskin was awarded The Queen's Anniversary Prize for music therapy research. * In 2022, the Times Higher Education placed ARU as 1st in the UK for Good Health and Wellbeing. * In May 2023, ARU was recognised for advancing race equality with a Bronze Race Equality Charter award. ARU was one of 38 UK universities who have achieved Bronze status, while only one has achieved Silver. * In 2023, ARU Peterborough won the University Impact Initiative of the Year from the Association of University Directors of Estates. * In 2023, ARU Peterborough won the Alliance Award for successful collaborations. * In 2023, ARU Peterborough was shortlisted for the AJ Architecture Awards. * In 2023, Anglia Ruskin University won the University of the Year title at the Social Mobility Awards (SOMO) which is a fundraising initiative for a charity. The Social Mobility Awards have been organized since 2017 and supported by the Prime Minister of the UK. * In 2023, ARU received Gold Award from The Teaching Excellence Framework. (TEF). * In December 2023, ARU won the national Green Gown Award for sustainability. * In 2023, Anglia Ruskin won the University of the Year top prize at the Times Higher Education (THE) 2023 awards. * In 2024, ARU was awarded the Athena SWAN Silver Award from
Advance HE Advance HE (formerly the Higher Education Academy) is a British charity and professional membership scheme promoting excellence in higher education. It advocates evidence-based teaching methods and awards fellowships as professional recogniti ...
for gender equality progress. * In 2024, ARU Law Clinic was nominated for the Alliance Award. * In 2024, ARU became the first university in the United Kingdom to win the National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education (NCEE) Entrepreurial University Award. * In 2024, ARU received the Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme from the Ministry of Defence. * In 2025, ARU Peterborough was nominated in the Best Building category at the Pineapples Awards 2025. * In 2025, Law Clinic at the Faculty of Business and Law was a finalist for the University Commercial Impact Award at the LexisNexis Legal Awards. * In 2025, ARU was a finalist for three awards: Co-created Employability Initiatives, Employer and Community Partnerships, and Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at the Academic Employability Awards. * ARU Peterborough's Lab building won the Best Building Award at the Pineapple Awards in 2025.


Notable people


Alumni

* *
Michael Ashcroft Michael Anthony Ashcroft, Baron Ashcroft, (born 4 March 1946) is a British-Belizean businessman, pollster and politician. He is a former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. Ashcroft founded Michael A. Ashcroft Associates in 1972 and wa ...
, English investor, billionaire and former
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
vice chairman * Eddie Ballard, former English cricketer for
Cambridge UCCE Cambridge University Cricket Club, established in 1820, is the representative cricket club for students of the University of Cambridge. The club was recognised as holding first-class status until 2020. The university played List A cricket in 1 ...
and
Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...
*
Syd Barrett Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English singer, guitarist and songwriter who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. Until his departure in 1968, he was Pink Floyd's frontman and primary songwriter, ...
and
David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter who is a member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined in 1967, shortly before the departure of the founder member Syd Barrett. By the early 1980s, Pink F ...
, Pink Floyd members *
Chris Beckett Chris Beckett (born 1955) is a British Social work, social worker, Lecturer, university lecturer, and science fiction author. He has written several textbooks, dozens of short stories, and six novels. Background Beckett was educated at the D ...
, academic, author and science-fiction novelist *
Manish Bhasin Manish Dev Bhasin (born 21 May 1976 in Leicester, England) is a sports journalist and presenter broadcasting for Premier League Productions as the face of the Premier League's global coverage to over 700 million viewers as well as the BBC in th ...
, sports journalist and BBC presenter *
Henry Brock Henry Brock was an American college football player and coach. He played at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas from 1927 to 1930. Then went on to coach in the beginning of the 1940s. Coaching career College of Emporia Brock was head ...
, specialist linguist at
University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
and illustrator *
Pips Bunce Pippa "Pips" Bunce (born Philip Bunce) is a British banking executive who works to promote LGBT, LGBTQIA+ and ally inclusion and advocacy. Bunce, who is non-binary and genderfluid, is a senior director at Credit Suisse. They serve as the Head of ...
, banking executive and LGBTQ activist *
John Burnside John Burnside (19 March 1955 – 29 May 2024) was a Scottish writer. He was one of four poets (with Ted Hughes, Sean O'Brien and Jason Allen-Paisant) to have won the T. S. Eliot Prize and the Forward Poetry Prize for a single book – in th ...
, academic and
T. S. Eliot Prize The T. S. Eliot Prize for Poetry is a prize for poetry awarded by the T. S. Eliot Foundation. For many years it was awarded by the Eliots' Poetry Book Society (UK) for "the best collection of new verse in English first published in the UK or t ...
winning author *
Elsie Vera Cole Elsie Vera Cole (27 July 1885 – 2 January 1967) was an English painter, engraver and art teacher. Biography Cole was born in Braintree, Essex, Braintree in Essex to the congregational minister William Cole and his wife Ellen née Holmes. Cole ...
, artist * Nick Crane, English geographer and TV presenter *
Sarah-Jane Crawford Sarah-Jane Crawford is an English television and radio presenter, actress, voice-over artist, and DJ best known for her radio work with Hits Radio and formerly with BBC Radio 1Xtra, and television work with E! Network (which she is currentl ...
, TV presenter, radio presenter, and model * Hugh Crossley, 4th Baron Somerleyton, restaurateur, hotel owner, landowner, conservationist *
Grahame Davies Grahame Clive Davies CVO (born 1964) is a Welsh poet, author, editor, librettist, literary critic and former journalist and courtier. He was brought up in the former coal mining village of Coedpoeth near Wrexham in north east Wales. Education ...
, poet, novelist, and lyricist * Geraldine Finlayson, researcher and director of John Mackintosh Hall *
Peter Fluck Peter Nigel Fluck (born 7 April 1941) is a British caricaturist and one half of the partnership known as ''Luck and Flaw'' (with Roger Law), creators of the popular satirical TV puppet show '' Spitting Image''. He attended Cambridgeshire Hi ...
and
Roger Law Roger Law (born 6 September 1941) is a British caricaturist, ceramicist and one half of ''Luck and Flaw'' (with Peter Fluck), creators of the popular satirical TV puppet show '' Spitting Image''. Roger Law was a pioneer in bringing politica ...
, creators of ''
Spitting Image ''Spitting Image'' is a British satirical television puppet show, created by Peter Fluck, Roger Law and Martin Lambie-Nairn. First broadcast in 1984, the series was produced by 'Spitting Image Productions' for Central Independent Television ...
'' *
Angela Hartnett Angela Maria Hartnett (born September 1968) is an English Michelin-starred chef. A protégée of Gordon Ramsay who became well known by her appearances on British television, she was Chef-Patron at Angela Hartnett at the Connaught in London. ...
, entrepreneur and chef *
Kim Howells Kim Scott Howells (born 27 November 1946) is a Welsh Labour Party former politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pontypridd from 1989 to 2010, and held a number of ministerial positions within the Blair and Brown governments. ...
, Labour politician and former Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee * Paul Hopfensperger (
politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
, GB
open water swimmer Open water swimming is a swimming discipline which takes place in outdoor bodies of water such as open oceans, lakes, and rivers. Competitive open water swimming is governed by the International Swimming Federation, World Aquatics (formerly kn ...
, best-selling
author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...
and
musician A musician is someone who Composer, composes, Conducting, conducts, or Performing arts#Performers, performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general Terminology, term used to designate a person who fol ...
with The Teazers) * Lon Kirkop, Maltese visual artist, award winning published author, songwriter and theatre practitioner *
Hussain Mohamed Latheef Hussain Mohamed Latheef (; born 10 December 1982), commonly known as Sembe (), is a Maldivian politician who is the 13th and incumbent vice president of the Maldives since 2023. He was a member of the People's Majlis for Fares-Maathodaa from 2 ...
, Vice President of
Maldives The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...
*
Patrick Le Quément Patrick Gilles Marie Le Quément (born 4 February 1945) is a retired French car designer, formerly chief designer of Renault. Born in France but brought up in the United Kingdom, Le Quément holds a BA Hons. degree in Product Design from Bir ...
, automobile engineer and former chief designer at
Renault Renault S.A., commonly referred to as Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English), is a French Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company curr ...
*
Emilia Monjowa Lifaka Emilia Monjowa Lifaka (11 April 195920 April 2021) was a Cameroonian politician and chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. She was a member of the National Assembly (Cameroon), National Assembly of Cameroon, first elected in ...
, Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association * Ricardo P. Lloyd, British actor *
Devant Maharaj Devant Maharaj is a Trinidad and Tobago politician, and social activist. He is a leading member of the United National Congress. On 27 June 2011, he became a member of the Senate of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Minister of Transport ...
, former Senator and Minister of Food Production, Trinidad and Tobago * Ian Miller, English footballer *
Magdalene Odundo Dame Magdalene Anyango Namakhiya Odundo (born 1950) is a Kenyan-born United Kingdom, British Studio pottery, studio potter, who now lives in Farnham, Surrey. Her work is in the collections of notable museums including the Art Institute of Chic ...
, a ceramic artist graduate and 2022 Honorary Doctorate of Arts. *
Tony Palladino Antonio Paul Palladino (born 29 June 1983), known as Tony Palladino, is an English professional cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler. He played for Essex and Derbyshire County Cricket Club Derbysh ...
, English cricketer *
Sarah Perry Sarah Grace Perry (born 28 November 1979) is an English author. She has had four novels published: ''After Me Comes the Flood'' (2014), '' The Essex Serpent'' (2016), ''Melmoth'' (2018) and ''Enlightenment'' (2024). Her work has been transla ...
, author *
Ama Pomaa Boateng Ama Pomaa Boateng (born 19 August 1975) is a Ghanaian politician and . She was the member of parliament for the Juaben Constituency in the Ashanti Region of Ghana and represented the New Patriotic Party. Early life and education Ama Pomaa wa ...
*
Anders Holch Povlsen Anders Holch Povlsen (born 4 November 1972) is a Danish billionaire, CEO and sole owner of the international retail clothing chain Bestseller (which includes Vero Moda and Jack & Jones), a company founded by his parents. He is the largest share ...
, owner and CEO of
Bestseller A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, cookb ...
* Shoo Rayner, author and illustrator *
Philip Reeve Philip Reeve (born 28 February 1966) is an English author and illustrator of children's books, primarily known for the 2001 book '' Mortal Engines'' and its sequels (the 2001 to 2006 '' Mortal Engines Quartet''). His 2007 novel, '' Here Lies Ar ...
, author and illustrator of children's books *
Nicky Richards Nicholas Gordon Richards (born 25 February 1956 in Alnwick, Northumberland) is a British racehorse trainer specialising mainly in National Hunt racing. He is based at stables at Greystoke, near Penrith, Cumbria, England He was British champion ...
, CEO and Chief Investment Officer MLC Asset Management *
Andrew Sayer (R.) Andrew Sayer (born 1949) is Emeritus Professor of Social Theory and Political Economy at Lancaster University, UK. He is known for significant contributions to methodology and theory in the social sciences. Education Andrew Sayer studied a BA ...
, English economist, professor of Social Theory and Political Economy at
Lancaster University Lancaster University (officially The University of Lancaster) is a collegiate public university, public research university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established in 1964 by royal charter, as one of several new univer ...
*
Patricia Scotland, Baroness Scotland of Asthal Patricia Janet Scotland, Baroness Scotland of Asthal, (born 19 August 1955), is a Dominican-British barrister and politician who served as the sixth secretary-general of the Commonwealth of Nations from 2016 to 2025. She was the first woman to ...
, Labour politician,
Commonwealth Secretary-General The Commonwealth secretary-general, formally the secretary-general of the Commonwealth of Nations, is the head of the Commonwealth Secretariat, the central body which has served the Commonwealth of Nations since its establishment in 1965, and r ...
, government policy-maker, former minister, attorney general and president of
Chatham House The Royal Institute of International Affairs, also known as Chatham House, is a British think tank based in London, England. Its stated mission is "to help governments and societies build a sustainably secure, prosperous, and just world". It ...
* Pengiran Shamhary, Minister of Transport and Infocommunications of
Brunei Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with ...
*
Ronald Searle Ronald William Fordham Searle (3 March 1920 – 30 December 2011) was an English artist and satirical cartoonist, comics artist, sculptor, medal designer and illustrator. He is perhaps best remembered as the creator of St Trinian's School and f ...
, creator of
St Trinian's ''St Trinian's'' is a British gag cartoon comic strip series, created and drawn by Ronald Searle from 1946 until 1952. The cartoons all centre on a boarding school for girls, where the teachers are sadists and the girls are juvenile delinquent ...
*
Michal Shalev Michal Shalev () is an Israeli author and illustrator of children's books. She has an MA in children's book illustration from the Cambridge School of Art. She is also a graduate of WIZO Haifa Academy of Design and Education. Select English bi ...
, author and illustrator of children's books *
Tim Stokely Timothy Christopher Stokely (born July 1983) is a British businessman, the founder of OnlyFans and its CEO until December 2021. Early life Tim Stokely was born in Harlow, Essex, in July 1983, the youngest of four children of Guy Stokely, a ret ...
, founder and CEO of
OnlyFans OnlyFans is an Internet content subscription service based in London, England. The service is widely known for being popular with sex workers who produce pornography, and also hosts other content creators including athletes, musicians, and com ...
*
Barbara Yung Barbara Yung Mei-ling (, 7 May 1959 – 14 May 1985) was a famous Hong Kong actress during the early 1980s. Yung died of suicide by gas inhalation at the age of 26, during the peak of her career. Her most popular acting role was Huang Rong in ...
, Hong Kong actress * Mark Wood, businessman, accountant and chairman of
NSPCC The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is a British child protection charity founded as the Liverpool Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (LSPCC) by Thomas Agnew on 19 April 1883. The NSPCC lobbies t ...


Notable academics

* Andrew Bowie, philosophy *
Stephen Bustin Stephen Andrew Bustin (born 1954) is a British scientist, former professor of molecular sciences at Queen Mary University of London from 2004 to 2012, as well as visiting professor at Middlesex University, beginning in 2006. In 2012 he was appoin ...
, medicine * Peter Carter, nursing * Malcolm Gaskill, history *
Jon Hare Jon "Jops" Hare (born 20 January 1966) is an English computer game designer, video game artist, musician and one of many founder members of the early UK games industry as co-founder and director, along with Chris Yates, of Sensible Software, on ...
, game design *
Dave Hill Dave Hill may refer to: * Dave Hill (baseball) (1937–2018), American Major League Baseball pitcher * Dave Hill (golfer) (1937–2011), American golfer * Dave Hill (American football) (1941–2022), American football player * Dave Hill (automot ...
, education * Ray Iles, biomedics * John Lawrence, illustration *
Patricia MacCormack Patricia MacCormack is an Australian scholar who lives and works in London, England. Currently she is Professor of Continental Philosophy in English and Media at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. She has published extensively on philosophe ...
, philosophy *
Una McCormack Una McCormack (born 13 January 1972) is a British-Irish academic, scriptwriter and novelist. She is the author of ''The Baba Yaga'' (2015) and ''The Star of the Sea'' (2016), two books in the ''Weird Space'' series from UK science fiction publis ...
, creative writing *
Farah Mendlesohn Farah Jane Mendlesohn (born 27 July 1968) is a British academic historian, writer on speculative fiction, and active member of science fiction fandom. Mendlesohn is best-known for their 2008 book ''Rhetorics of Fantasy'', which classifies fantas ...
, literature * Helen Odell-Miller, OBE, music therapy *
Shahina Pardhan Shahina Pardhan is the Director of the Vision and Eye Research Unit and the Anglia Ruskin University School of Medicine. She was the first woman to be appointed Professor of Optometry in the United Kingdom. Early life and education Pardhan was ...
, OBE, Optometry and Preventing Blindness *
Guido Rings Guido Rings is Professor of Postcolonial Studies, director of the Research Unit for Intercultural and Transcultural Studies (RUITS), and Course Leader for the MA Intercultural Communication at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, United Kingdom ...
, postcolonial studies *
Ash Sarkar Ashna Sarkar (born 1992) is a British journalist and libertarian communist political activist. She is a senior editor at Novara Media and teaches at the Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam. Sarkar is a contributor to ''The Guardian'' and ''The In ...
, global politics *
Tom Sharpe Thomas Ridley Sharpe (30 March 1928 – 6 June 2013) was an English satire, satirical novelist, best known for his ''Wilt (novel), Wilt'' series, as well as ''Porterhouse Blue'' and ''Blott on the Landscape,'' all three of which were adapted fo ...
, history *
Justin Stebbing Justin Stebbing is a British clinician-scientist specialising in oncology and cancer research. He is a professor of biomedical sciences at Anglia Ruskin University and practices with the Private healthcare in the United Kingdom, private sector ...
, biomedics


Honorary doctors

*
Jason Arday Jason Arday FRSA is a British sociologist, writer and fundraiser. His research interests and publications include education, social mobility, mental health, neurodiversity and race. In March 2023, he began an appointment as Professor of Sociolog ...
*
Michael Ashcroft Michael Anthony Ashcroft, Baron Ashcroft, (born 4 March 1946) is a British-Belizean businessman, pollster and politician. He is a former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. Ashcroft founded Michael A. Ashcroft Associates in 1972 and wa ...
* Anne Campbell *
Jilly Cooper Dame Jilly Cooper, (born Jill Sallitt; 21 February 1937) is an English author. She began her career as a journalist and wrote numerous works of non-fiction before writing several romance novels, the first of which appeared in 1975. Cooper is ...
*
Richard Dannatt General (United Kingdom), General Francis Richard Dannatt, Baron Dannatt, (born 23 December 1950) is a retired senior British Army officer and member of the House of Lords. He was Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom), Chief of the Gener ...
* Robert Dixon-Smith * Mark Foster *
Stephen Fry Sir Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director, narrator and writer. He came to prominence as a member of the comic act Fry and Laurie alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring in ''A Bit of ...
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Anthony Giddens Anthony Giddens, Baron Giddens (born 18 January 1938) is an English sociologist who is known for his theory of structuration and his holistic view of modern societies. He is considered to be one of the most prominent modern sociologists and is ...
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Ravi Gill Ravi may refer to: People * Ravi (name), including a list of people and characters with the name * Ravi (composer) (1926–2012), Indian music director * Ravi (Ivar Johansen) (born 1976), Norwegian musical artist * Ravi (rapper) (born 1993), a Sou ...
*
David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter who is a member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined in 1967, shortly before the departure of the founder member Syd Barrett. By the early 1980s, Pink F ...
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Germaine Greer Germaine Greer (; born 29 January 1939) is an Australian writer and feminist, regarded as one of the major voices of the second-wave feminism movement in the latter half of the 20th century. Specializing in English and women's literature, she ...
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Dido Harding Diana Mary "Dido" Harding, Baroness Harding of Winscombe (born November 1967) is a British businesswoman and life peer who served as chair of NHS Improvement from 2017 to 2021, and as interim chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UK ...
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Hermann Hauser Hermann Maria Hauser (born 1948) is an Austrian entrepreneur, venture capitalist and inventor who is primarily associated with the Cambridge technology community in England. Education and early life When Hauser was 16 he went to the United K ...
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Anya Hindmarch Dame Anya Susannah Hindmarch, (; born 7 May 1968) is an English fashion accessories designer who founded an eponymous company, of which she is CEO. Hindmarch published her first book, ''If In Doubt Wash Your Hair'' in May 2021, a ''The Sunda ...
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Wilko Johnson John Andrew Wilkinson (12 July 1947 – 21 November 2022), better known by the stage name Wilko Johnson, was an English guitarist, singer, songwriter and occasional actor. He was a member of the pub rock/rhythm and blues band Dr. Feelgood in ...
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Griff Rhys Jones Griffith Rhys Jones (born 16 November 1953) is a Welsh actor, comedian, writer and television presenter. He starred in a number of television series with his comedy partner, Mel Smith. He and Smith came to national attention in the 1980s for ...
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Richard Madeley Richard Holt Madeley ( born 13 May 1956) is an English television presenter and writer. Alongside his wife Judy Finnigan, he presented ITV's '' This Morning'' (1988–2001) and the Channel 4 chat show ''Richard & Judy'' (2001–2008). Madeley ...
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Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...
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Katie Piper Kate Elizabeth Sutton (née Piper; born 12 October 1983) is an English writer, activist, television presenter and model from Andover, Hampshire. In March 2008, her ex-boyfriend raped her and stabbed her several times in the arms. Two days late ...
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Anders Holch Povlsen Anders Holch Povlsen (born 4 November 1972) is a Danish billionaire, CEO and sole owner of the international retail clothing chain Bestseller (which includes Vero Moda and Jack & Jones), a company founded by his parents. He is the largest share ...
* David Prior *
Jim Prior James Michael Leathes Prior, Baron Prior, (11 October 1927 – 12 December 2016) was a British Conservative Party politician. A Member of Parliament from 1959 to 1987, he represented the Suffolk constituency of Lowestoft until 1983 and then ...
*
Suzi Quatro Susan Kay Quatro (born June 3, 1950) is an American singer, bass guitarist, songwriter, and actress. In the 1970s, she scored a string of singles that found success in Europe and Australia, with both "Can the Can" (1973) and "Devil Gate Drive" ...
* Bernard Ribeiro * Andrew Sentance * Barbara Young


See also

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Armorial of UK universities The armorial of British universities is the collection of coats of arms of universities in the United Kingdom. Modern arms of universities began appearing in England around the middle of the 15th century, with University of Oxford, Oxford's being ...
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Cambridge Theological Federation The Cambridge Theological Federation (CTF) is an association of theological colleges, courses and houses based in Cambridge, England and founded in 1972. The federation offers several joint theological programmes of study open to students in mem ...
*
List of universities in the United Kingdom This is a list of universities in the United Kingdom (alphabetical by substantive name). Below that are lists of university colleges and other recognised bodies (institutions with degree awarding powers), followed by a list of defunct institution ...


Notes


External links

* * {{authority control 1992 establishments in England Universities and colleges established in 1992 Universities UK University Alliance