Anglia Ruskin University
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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, a Fellow of Trinity College 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 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 and Lilian Mellish Clarke, after whom buildings on the East Road campus were later named. Danbury Place, 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), 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 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, 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, 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 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, a pro-Beijing lawmaker in Hong Kong, an Honorary Doctor of Laws in 2011. During the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, Ho was accused of supporting those who committed the 2019 Yuen Long attack. In response to Ho's controversial speech, David Alton 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,
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, (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, 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, 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 (CPCA) and Peterborough City Council (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 in London. In 2023, Anglia Ruskin University and Writtle University College 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 (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 (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 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 (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, creator of the ''St Trinian’s'' books, attended during the 1930s. Gustav Metzger, a pioneer of auto-destructive art, 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 at Cambridge University, lecturer Odile Crick drew the original sketch to illustrate the complex concept of DNA’s double-helix. Cambridge School of Art was home to students including, caricaturists Roger Law and Peter Fluck, 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 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, Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust, 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 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, 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 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,
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, Russian Railways, Willmott Dixon, 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 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, 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 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 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, 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, banking executive and LGBTQ activist * John Burnside, academic and T. S. Eliot Prize 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, TV presenter, radio presenter, and model * Hugh Crossley, 4th Baron Somerleyton, restaurateur, hotel owner, landowner, conservationist * Grahame Davies, poet, novelist, and lyricist * Geraldine Finlayson, researcher and director of John Mackintosh Hall * Peter Fluck and Roger Law, creators of '' Spitting Image'' * Angela Hartnett, entrepreneur and chef * Kim Howells, 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, 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, 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, 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, Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association * Ricardo P. Lloyd, British actor * Devant Maharaj, former Senator and Minister of Food Production, Trinidad and Tobago * Ian Miller, English footballer * Magdalene Odundo, a ceramic artist graduate and 2022 Honorary Doctorate of Arts. * Tony Palladino, English cricketer * Sarah Perry, author * Ama Pomaa Boateng * Anders Holch Povlsen, 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, author and illustrator of children's books * Nicky Richards, 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, 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, creator of St Trinian's * Michal Shalev, author and illustrator of children's books * Tim Stokely, founder and CEO of OnlyFans * Barbara Yung, 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, game design * Dave Hill, education * Ray Iles, biomedics * John Lawrence, illustration * Patricia MacCormack, philosophy * Una McCormack, creative writing * Farah Mendlesohn, literature * Helen Odell-Miller, OBE, music therapy * Shahina Pardhan, OBE, Optometry and Preventing Blindness * Guido Rings, postcolonial studies * Ash Sarkar, 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, biomedics


Honorary doctors

* Jason Arday * Michael Ashcroft * 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 * 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 ...
*
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 ...
* Ravi Gill *
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 ...
*
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 ...
* Dido Harding * Hermann Hauser * Anya Hindmarch * Wilko Johnson * Griff Rhys Jones * Richard Madeley *
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 ...
*
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 ...
* Anders Holch Povlsen * David Prior * Jim Prior * Suzi Quatro * Bernard Ribeiro * Andrew Sentance * Barbara Young


See also

* Armorial of UK universities *
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