On Thursday 22 February, Robin Banerjee, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global and Civic Engagement) emailed all staff. You can read the message below:
Hi everyone, and thanks for taking a moment to read this update on global and civic engagement. As some of you know, I've been at Sussex for a long time, but the role of Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global and Civic Engagement (GCE) is a very new one. Since taking up the post last autumn and assuming responsibility for the strategic leadership and coordination of the University’s engagement activities, both locally and globally, I've been so excited to see the enthusiasm in our community for this area of work. We are already connected with hundreds of academic and non-academic partners locally, nationally, and internationally, and it was such a pleasure to talk with many of you about how to build on this fantastic foundation in recent events to develop a vision for GCE within our new strategy, Sussex 2035.
Our international outlook
The ongoing strategy development work has both informed, and been informed by, my recent collaborative visits and meetings with current and prospective partners in Denmark, India, Kurdistan, China, Mexico, South Africa, Czech Republic, and others. Sussex is one of the world's top 50 universities for international outlook in the Times Higher World University Rankings 2024 (based on proportions of international staff, students, and co-authorship). We have much to celebrate in the fantastic One World Week, run annually by our Students' Union in collaboration with the University and set to take place this year between 11 and 17 March.
Collaboration and equitable partnerships
All those involved in these international activities know just how much everyone can benefit when staff and students transcend borders to engage with each other in education and in research. But this depends on close collaborative work with a clear sense of shared purpose. In line with this, I will be chairing an event next week (on Thursday 29 February) hosted by our world-renowned Sussex Sustainability Research Programme where we will be taking a deep dive into the concept of equitable global partnerships in the context of sustainability research. You are welcome to come along for some fascinating discussions.
The focus on equitable partnerships extends to our relationships with stakeholders here in Brighton and Sussex. It has been truly inspiring to see how our education, scholarship, research, and knowledge exchange involve mutually beneficial interactions with a range of public services (such as health, education and social care), industry and enterprise, arts and culture, and much more. Talking of arts and culture, last week saw the launch of the 2024 Brighton Festival, for which we are the official Higher Education Partner. Do browse the programme and enjoy the incredible range of events - including our very own Festival of Ideas - taking place on campus as well as in town.
Volunteering
Last, but definitely not least, it has been inspiring to see how so many Sussex staff and students are already living the Sussex values by volunteering within their local communities, in areas ranging from mental health support to ocean recovery, from animal welfare to dementia care. This month, we have established a partnership with Governors for Schools, a charity that helps recruit skilled volunteers to school boards as governors or trustees. If you are interested in finding out more about the opportunities to contribute to shaping young people's education - and to develop your own professional skills - do come along to our introductory webinar on 28 February to learn about this and ask your questions. As a reminder, Sussex staff on a contract of 12 month or more are entitled to an allowance of at least two days per year (pro rata) to volunteer.
Thank you for all you are doing to make our University such an engaged partner in communities both local and global. I can't wait to grow this amazing network of collaboration further with you, and I will send you another update in the spring. Please do drop me a line at r.a.banerjee@sussex.ac.uk if you would like to share any thoughts or suggestions as we continue the journey!
Robin Banerjee
Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global and Civic Engagement