The pursuit of knowledge and understanding, and how both can make a positive impact on society, lies at the heart of research and knowledge exchange at Canterbury Christ Church University. Inspired by our Church of England foundation, we are strongly committed to transforming individuals, creating knowledge and enriching communities.
Since our inception as a teacher training college in 1962, the University has grown and diversified into healthcare and medicine, creative and digital, science and technology, and across business, the economy and policy. We are now a multi-campus, multi-discipline university of more than 38,000 staff and students, continuing to expand and innovate to serve the needs of public services, industries and communities in the Southeast and beyond. Our strategy places collaboration, courage and creativity at its centre, all underpinned by our commitment to sustainable futures. We are ranked in the top 10 nationally for both student experience and teaching quality in the Sunday Times Good University Guide, and in the top 10 nationally for graduates in employment in the HESA Graduate Outcomes survey.
Evolving in response to skills shortages and regional needs, we have grown via capital and public investment delivering impact and widening participation through major strategic initiatives including the area’s first Kent and Medway Medical School and our flagship Engineering, Design, Growth & Enterprise Hub that ranges across science, technology, engineering, creative and digital.
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 found that Canterbury Christ Church University had more than doubled its proportion of world-leading (4*) research and quadrupled its proportion of world-leading (4*) impact since 2014. Nearly two-thirds of our submitted research and 84 per cent of our impact case studies were rated as world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*).
In the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF), we are in the top 20% of English universities for our Research Partnerships and Public and Community Engagement and are ranked 12th for our continuing professional development (CPD) provision.