Check here in each edition of Southampton Connects for the latest news from the University and your alumni and supporter community…

Congratulations to new graduates who are now joining the University’s alumni community of over 245,000. Although physical graduations are postponed for this year, we wish to celebrate by bringing you an online version until government guidance allows us to hold the ceremonies safely. In the meantime, check out this special video message to all of our graduands:

Thank you to all those who took part in our alumni and supporter survey in last autumn’s edition of Hartley News. Over 4,300 of you gave us your thoughts on the University, our communications, our events, and more. Congratulations to our lucky winner who receives an all-expenses-paid trip back to campus – and well done to our 10 runners-up who each get a University hoodie! Keep an eye out over the next few months for a full breakdown of what you had to say.

The University has had more success in the ranking tables lately – climbing seven places to 90^th in the prestigious QS World University Rankings 2021, and moving up to 17^th in the 2021 Complete University Guide.

We’re looking forward to welcoming new and returning students to campus from September. The new academic year will be different from normal, but with the safety of students and staff being our number one priority, the University has invested in new online Learning and Development resources to minimise disruption to the student experience.

The University is committed to promoting equality and diversity within our community, and to ensuring that we work better to support our students and staff from all backgrounds. A joint statement details our plans for the future.

The summer issue of the University’s research and enterprise magazine, Re:action, is now available to read online. This edition covers some fascinating projects that use space-related technology.

The University’s Social Impact Lab has released a new conversation series: The Portal. Hear from a range of voices on how the pandemic may change the world for the better.

Alumnus Tunde Yusuf has launched The Mentor Circle to help tackle youth unemployment within the BAME community, especially in response to inequality and the fallout of the pandemic. The non-profit organisation is aiming to provide access to business events, conferences, and paid mentoring – which is usually for those from lower-income backgrounds.

Hartley Library has introduced new services to support students during the current crisis, including digitised item requests and a click-and-collect service.

The Doctoral College recently held their first online Three Minute Thesis competition. Postgraduate researchers from across faculties competed for this year’s title, and the judges were impressed by the quality and diversity of topics.

The Leadership, Educational Effectiveness & Policy research group has produced a study highlighting the impact that the closure of schools during the coronavirus lockdown could have on children’s education, with those from disadvantaged backgrounds most affected.