Vice-Provost’s View: The future of research is... open

The start of a new academic year (in an increasingly turbulent external context) provides a good opportunity to reflect on the future of research at UCL, writes Professor David Price, Vice Provost (Research). I make every attempt to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our researchers and research groups, as well as our deservedly rising institutional reputation. That does not, however, mean that we should rest on our many laurels. As I wrote in the introduction to the 2019 UCL Research Strategy : It falls to each generation of the UCL community to remind its successors of the special responsibilities gifted to us by our founders. And it falls to each successive generation to reinterpret UCL's radical tradition in response to their contemporary circumstances and the needs of society. We need to ensure that UCL in the 21st century and beyond fulfils its potential to be fundamentally embedded in society, genuinely open to all, cherishing the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake while being committed to tackling the wickedest of wicked problems. I believe that making our research open in every way is the key to us fulfilling our potential.