In my May newsletter: the Government’s Greater Together mission, our new student accommodation, a prestigious visit to our London campus, the new Wolfson X-Lab Extreme, the 2026 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards, and the build up to the Commonwealth Games.

Government mission to boost Britain’s transatlantic economic ties

Last week, the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Sport, Professor Jo Maher, and I were among a UK trade delegation that went to the US to help boost Britain’s transatlantic economic ties. The event was part of the UK Government’s Greater Together LA mission, its largest ever, led by Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy, to highlight the strengths of UK higher education and R&D (research and development). 

During the visit to Los Angeles, I was joined by Professor Robin Mason from the University of Birmingham to host a roundtable event with senior British and American leaders from sporting bodies, universities, government and industry, through which we explored ways to unlock and accelerate the development of UK-US innovation and investment partnerships grounded in sport.  

All those at the event recognised how sport influences more than just the field of play; it shapes economies, builds global reputation, drives innovation and creates connections that few other sectors can.  

During the US visit, we also went to a number of universities to open up conversations about international student recruitment.

Over the next few years, the US will host a number of global sporting events – the men’s FIFA World Cup this summer, the 2027 Invictus Games, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028. These will be the perfect stepping stones for UK-US collaboration, and we at Loughborough have a distinctive role to play. Our strengths in high‑performance sport, Para and disability sport, athlete development and health innovation, combined with US leadership in commercial scale, media, professional leagues and infrastructure, provide opportunities to make a real shift change in the way we approach sport. 

Work formally begins on new student accommodation

Work has now officially begun on the University’s newest hall of residence on campus, when I joined colleagues from the University, LSU President Mia Jackson and representatives from GRAHAM, the firm building the new hall, to formally ‘break ground’. 

The new hall will provide 552 en-suite bedspaces across five blocks, offering self-catered, en-suite facilities with shared study and social space, set within landscaped surroundings and with easy access to key University facilities, such as the Edward Herbert Building, the soon-to-be completed DigiLabs Central, the Library, Powerbase and the Students’ Union.

This week we launched a call for staff and students to propose a name and logo for the new accommodation, with the winners being revealed next month. We’d welcome suggestions for names that have a strong connection to the history or unique character of the University, with female names and names from a range of personal, cultural and ethnic backgrounds particularly encouraged. 

The new hall of residence is the first to be built on campus for nearly eight years. It’s a significant investment in the Loughborough Student Experience and will help to cement Loughborough’s status as one of the UK’s very best universities. 

Chinese table tennis team visit London campus 

This month the Loughborough University London campus hosted a visit from China’s national table tennis team, who were in the UK for the World Team Championships. I was delighted to be able to meet them, as well as senior representatives from the Chinese Table Tennis Association, Table Tennis England, and high-level diplomats including the Chinese Ambassador to the UK, Zheng Zeguang.  

It was an honour for Loughborough to host the Chinese team’s visit, which was their only UK non-competition appearance following their remarkable victory at the World Championships; both the men’s and women’s teams were once again crowned champions.  

The team’s visit to our campus included a panel discussion on sport and diplomacy, led by Dr Tim Oliver from Loughborough University London, which explored the lasting impact of ‘Ping Pong Diplomacy’ – the historic 1971 exchange between China and the West that helped reshape international relations. 

We were also treated to a table tennis exhibition from Team China, offering a rare glimpse of the immense skill and precision that has made them one of the most dominant teams in global sport. The team are true superstars in China. 

High profile visits such as these reinforce our reputation as a global University, strengthen our longstanding relationships with partners in China and provide the momentum to create even deeper connections for the years ahead.

New lab to test materials at extremes of temperatures and pressures

The Wolfson X-Lab Extreme – a new facility that will be pivotal in the advancement of Loughborough’s clean energy research – was formally opened this month in the School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering. The lab will enable industry partners and researchers to use equipment only available in a handful of places across the world to research, test and develop a new generation of materials that can withstand, and function safely in, extreme environments. 

The lab was formally launched by Paul Ramsbottom OBE, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation, which provided a grant of £1.1 million to set up the facility. I was delighted to welcome Paul back to campus to celebrate the impact of our long-term partnership with the Wolfson Foundation. 

The Wolfson X-Lab Extreme houses the Gleeble 3800, a specialist piece of equipment and the first of its kind in the UK and Europe. The Gleeble will enable us to undertake materials testing for designing, manufacturing and maintaining new and existing hydrogen storage, distribution and end-use application infrastructure, all essential to achieving the UK’s ambitious net zero targets. 

The new lab will be open to external collaborators, enabling students, researchers and scientists from both academia and industry to access it. It will foster collaboration, inspire the next generation of engineers, and put Loughborough at the frontier of materials science, enhancing our reputation as a hub for world-leading research.  

Nominate your colleagues for the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards

Every September, we host our annual Vice-Chancellor’s Awards ceremony to celebrate the amazing work taking place across our campuses. Any member of staff can nominate an individual or team that they believe deserves broader recognition for the brilliant work they do. Nominations for the 2026 awards will be open soon, so I would encourage you all to get involved and nominate your colleagues who deserve broader recognition and celebration.  

Commonwealth Games build up begins

Yesterday Professor Jo Maher and I were delighted to welcome the King’s Baton Relay to campus as part of the build up to the 2026 Commonwealth Games, being held in Glasgow this summer. 

This relay is slightly different from those in previous years. This time, each Commonwealth nation and territory has been given its own baton to customise and decorate, allowing it to reflect and celebrate its unique culture. All 74 batons will be reunited at the Games Opening Ceremony. 

This year’s Games are particularly special for Loughborough, as we are the official University Partner of Team England. This value-in-kind partnership is an opportunity for us to further our long-standing relationship with Team England and raise Loughborough’s profile on the world stage.  

Our University logo will appear on the podium kit, including at the medal ceremonies. Team England staff and athletes will be welcomed to campus for ‘Kitting Out’, where they will be provided with their kit – including ceremonial wear, village, training and competition wear.   

We’ll also host many of Team England’s sports for their immersion camps ahead of the Games, facilitating team cohesion to prepare them physically and psychologically for international competition. Many athletes, coaches and practitioners are already familiar with our elite performance environment, so it seems fitting that we will be able to host them all on campus together.  

I’m looking forward to seeing how all our athletes fare at the Games and hopefully seeing the Loughborough University logo on the Team England kit many, many times as the athletes take to the medal podium!

New sculpture in Shenzhen 

John Atkin from the School of Design and Creative Arts has unveiled his newly commissioned artwork as part of the Bay View Art Centre’s opening at One Shenzhen Bay in China. The bronze sculpture, titled ‘Confluence’, explores the relationship between the city, the natural landscape and the human experience.

Fellowship of the Royal Historical Society 

Dr Joan Fitzpatrick from the School of Social Sciences and Humanities has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in recognition of her eminent contribution to historical scholarship. Dr Fitzpatrick’s research specialises in early modern literature, including Shakespeare, and the intersection of literary and culinary cultures.

Milestone for Student Success Academy

Established through the generous donation of Loughborough alum Chris Gill, the Student Success Academy, which helps to support students from underrepresented backgrounds, has celebrated its fifth anniversary. Since its launch, the Academy has clocked up almost 29,000 interactions with students throughout their University journey and into graduate life.