Message from Prof David Maguire, Vice-Chancellor, to alumni

I am delighted to be communicating directly with alumni for the first time.  

I’ve been at UEA for nearly two months and in that time, I’ve met many staff, students and alumni who’ve shared their thoughts on what makes the University special. 

I came to UEA because this is a special university with a storied history.  You may have heard about some of our woes in the media, but rest assured things are not as bad as some have reported.  As we celebrate our 60th anniversary of founding, I am very confident that we will not only survive but thrive for our next 60 years. 

That said, my initial priority is to secure UEA’s financial outlook and ensure that we have a firm footing upon which to build our future and continue to excel at research and teaching.

We’re focusing hard on student recruitment and on maintaining our excellent reputation. Our recent successes in both domestic and international rankings are testament to this hard work. 

As alumni, you’re all a vital part of our extended UEA family. We want you to be our greatest advocates and champions, but we do not take this for granted. We’re grateful for all of your input, and I’ve already heard about the positive impact many of you make by engaging with us, speaking at careers events, offering internships and giving to hardship funds. 

We appreciate your support and value your role as part of the UEA community as we build towards our new vision. 

UEA has, I hope, played a part in shaping your lives, and everyone now is playing a role to make sure it shapes many more lives to come.