Strengthening our community

Across our global campuses, we work with local government, professional bodies, businesses, and charities. Together, we help make our regions inspiring places to learn, work, and live.

We understand and respond to the changing needs of our local communities. This allows us to strengthen and support them.

Our campuses promote lifelong learning and social mobility. Students and apprentices discover unexpected potential with us. They go on to shape their professions and transform communities.

We create opportunities for local people. This includes training more than 2,000 graduates for essential public service roles, such as the nurses and teachers our communities need.

An independent 2026 report by London Economics highlighted our civic impact. It also found that Middlesex University contributes nearly £1 billion to the UK economy each year. This is almost five times our running costs.

This contribution comes through:

• graduate earnings
• research impact
• employment.

Supporting employers 

Meeting workforce demands 

We work with a network of more than 1,000 partners. These include NHS Trusts, Barnet Education and Learning Service, local charities, and the Metropolitan Police.

Together, we prepare students to move confidently into the workplace. They develop the knowledge and skills that local employers need.

Entrepreneurship and innovation 

Every year, 600 students receive support to develop business ideas or build their skills by working with business leaders from our network.

We have established a Lifelong Learning Agreement with Barnet Education and Learning Service. The agreement covers all students at Barnet schools and colleges.

We will interview or offer a place on one of our courses to every eligible student who:

• studies at a Barnet school or college
• completes our package of support activities
• meets the University’s course criteria.

Celebrating diversity 

We celebrate diversity and promote social mobility through initiatives and events that bring people together. These activities take place in our welcoming, sustainable, and inclusive spaces.

Every year, the University welcomes thousands of local people to:

• interfaith celebrations
• public lectures
• performances
• business breakfasts
• exhibitions
• public celebrations, from the Big Iftar to the STEM Festival.

Essential public services 

Every year, we train more than 1,700 nurses and midwives, 3,000 police officers, and hundreds of teachers and social workers.

Our students and graduates become the professionals who keep London’s essential services running. We play an important part in delivering public services across the capital.

Training healthcare professionals 

Our £23 million virtual hospital is at Saracens Rugby Club’s StoneX Stadium. Its cutting-edge simulation facilities train nurses and midwives for emergency care.

Our nursing and midwifery students also gain valuable experience through 5,000 placements. These placements support 18 NHS Trusts across London.

Professional development partnerships 

We work with partners to support and serve our local communities.

Our award-winning partnership with the North Central London Integrated Care System provides professional training for adult social care nurses. It also supports student placements.

We are a founding member of the Healthcare Education Consortium. This group brings together seven universities and NHS Trusts. Its members co-design training programmes and address staff shortages.

Degree apprenticeships 

Our 20 leading degree apprenticeship programmes train professionals needed across London and the South East.

We train apprentice police officers through the award-winning Police Education Consortium. We work with:

• Canterbury Christ Church University
• the University of Cumbria
• the University of Portsmouth.

Our other apprenticeship programmes cover:

• nursing
• social work
• teaching
• healthcare science
• sales
• management
• digital design
• environmental health.

Making a difference 

Impact on individuals and communities 

We are recognised as a global leader in addressing inequalities through education. We rank 8th globally for Reduced Inequalities under the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 10.

We help people in our communities access higher education and graduate-level careers. This support allows them to achieve more throughout their lives.

We also work with local people to make our region a more inspiring place to live.

Our key initiatives include the Barnet Lifelong Learning Agreement, which guarantees interviews for eligible local students. Another initiative brings together our master’s students and local residents to revitalise underused community spaces.

Through this work, we support social mobility for disadvantaged groups and promote equality in education.

Influencing community policy 

Advocating for higher education 

We strongly advocate for the benefits of our industry-informed education.

We bring the University’s expertise, research, and experience to the UK policymaking process. Our work informs policy at local, London, and national levels.

We focus on securing the best possible outcomes for students and wider society. Our priorities include:

• promoting interfaith dialogue
• addressing hate on campus
• improving support for student mental health
• improving how the apprenticeship system works.