At City, University of London, we are proud of our place in the Islington community and the role we play in local life. City is not just a university committed to its civic engagement. City is a civic university where the community is at the heart of everything that we do.
Our Civic History
Since our foundation in Victorian times, City’s purpose has been to transform the lives of students, create new knowledge, support business and the professions and contribute to the global good of society.
Whilst the intervening decades have changed economies, societies, and the way City looks and works, this purpose is fundamentally unchanged.
Today, in the 21st Century, we remain an integral part of a globally-important city, and remain committed to supporting and safeguarding the future of our community.
Our Civic Focus
For City, our purpose is focused on our stakeholders – our staff, our students, and our community – and on key strategic themes that we feel that we have effect positive impact and change.
These include:
Building an inclusive economy
Reflecting our culture, we have a strong volunteering ethos from both our staff and students.
Whether it is for our local community or across wider London, our volunteers donate their time, effort and expertise to support the local communities, and in particular those who are less likely to receive the support they deserve.
Our law students work in law clinics, providing free legal advice, and our very own City Sight runs a variety of specialist clinics.
Our Business School has developed a strong mentorship programme that helps non-profit leaders to innovate and realise their goals and dreams.
Delivering better employment and skills
From our short courses programmes and apprenticeships, to our efforts to attract the best local and global talent to teach and inspire our students, we know that we need to continually equip our students with the skills that they will need for the future.
Innovating for better place-based solutions
City has a long past and strong bond with City livery companies and we work closely with them to innovate and come up with solutions together
City is also a key partner in the Islington Sustainable Energy Partnership as we work with Islington Council to help businesses save money, save carbon and save energy
Inspiring and equipping the next generation
Put simply, the young people of today are the future, and we need to do everything we can to support them.
City has a strong widening participation programme, and work closely with Islington Council and London Metropolitan University in Upward Bound to go into secondary schools to help inspire young people and build their confidence.
Reacting to the Covid-19 pandemic
The City community joined international efforts against Covid-19, including health and social care, volunteering and community support and expert comment and insight.
From training schemes designed for those on the NHS front line, to providing expertise in media to advise the public, to voluntary services set up by students, the City community came together and still continues to play a pivotal role in the international effort against Covid-19.
We are extremely proud of how our staff and students from across City continue to give their time and use their strengths, expertise and initiative to support these efforts.
Our Partners
We work with partners across the local area, including local authorities, charities, businesses, third sector organisations, community groups and other higher education institutions to ensure that our work involves, empowers and impacts City’s community.