This blog was written by Professor Andrew Linn, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Westminster.
‘How did REF go?’ That is the question higher education leaders are all asking each other in May 2022. It’s an odd question, rather like ‘How was the football?’ Well, seeing as you ask, we had a good REF at the University of Westminster, thanks. Top four for Impact in three of our 13 submissions. Fifth overall for Art and Design, and the top post-1992 university for Politics and International Studies. In 11 of our units of submission to the Research Excellence Framework we made significant improvements in our Environment score, and with 93 per cent of our English submission rated three-star / four-star (‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’), we were ranked higher than a famous old university in the North East of England. These are pleasing isolated statistics, the likes of which university comms teams have been gluing together since 9 a.m. on the morning of Monday 9 May, but do they add up to evidence of a good REF?
