The University of Portsmouth (formerly known as Portsmouth Polytechnic) is a public university in the city of Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. In the 2022 edition of the Good University Guide – compiled by The Times and Sunday Times – the university was ranked at 88 out of 132. It is one of only four universities in the South-East to be rated Gold in the Government Teaching Excellence Framework.Portsmouth has educated a wide range of people, including Tim Peake, Grayson Perry, Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, Sir John Armitt, Baroness Diana Maddock, and CEO of HSBC John Flint. Its alumni can be found worldwide, holding senior and executive positions in banking, politics, and civil engineering. Staff at the University include Alessandro Melis, curator of the Italian Pavilione at the XVII Venice Biennale, and astrophysicist and Eddington Medal winner Prof Claudia Maraston. The University is a member of the University Alliance and The Channel Islands Universities Consortium. The University offers a range of disciplines, including Pharmacy, International Relations, Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, Paleontology, Criminology, and Criminal Justice.The roots of the University can be traced back to the Portsmouth and Gosport School of Science and Art. which opened in 1870 and was funded by subscription. Technical education (including science-based subjects) later became the responsibility of the local authority, which founded Portsmouth Municipal Technical Institute in 1894 to fulfil this function. However, the city required a permanent purpose-built home for technical education and as a consequence Portsmouth Municipal College was constructed on a site behind Portsmouth Guildhall. Portsmouth Municipal College opened in 1908 (the new college replaced Portsmouth Municipal Technical Institute, although many of the staff transferred to the new institution) and the building also incorporated the College of Art, Portsmouth Day Training College for teachers and a public library. The original college building is still in use by the University of Portsmouth and is now known as Park Building. In 1911 two Student Unions were established for male and female students; as early records from the Student Union newspaper The Galleon show.From 1945 to 1960 the college diversified its syllabus adding arts and humanities subjects after World War II, in response to a decline in the need for engineering skills. In 1953 the institution changed its name to Portsmouth College of Technology. The college was renamed Portsmouth Polytechnic after it gained polytechnic status in 1969 and by the late 1980s was one of the largest polytechnics in the UK. On 7 July 1992 the inauguration of the University of Portsmouth was celebrated at a ceremony at Portsmouth Guildhall. As a new university, it could validate its own degrees, under the provision of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. On Friday 4 May 2018, the University of Portsmouth was revealed as the main shirt sponsor of Portsmouth F.C. for the 2018–19, 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons.OUR STRATEGYBy 2030, we will be the top modern university in the UK and one of the top 100 young universities in the world. That is our bold Vision. Naturally, we can't get there in one leap. Here, we set out our Strategy for the next five years – what we need to do by 2025 to be on course to make our Vision a reality. Both our Vision and Strategy are ambitious – and with good reason. We are on the rise. In 2017, we were awarded TEF Gold – the highest rating for teaching quality. In 2019, we were awarded £5.8 million by Research England to develop our plastics research – the largest single research award in the University's history. We're a top 30 university for student satisfaction, and many of our courses have 100% satisfaction scores (NSS, 2020). We continue to be a desirable destination for students. OUR MISSIONTo create, share and apply knowledge to make a difference to individuals and society.Our values underpin everything we doAmbitiousWe pursue bold ideas in an environment where creativity, innovation and success is encouraged and celebratedWe nurture and value relationships and partnerships that foster a global outlookWe inspire and support staff and students to achieve their potential and meet the challenges of societyWe never settle for second bestResponsibleWe act with integrity for the greater goodWe insist on upholding the highest academic and professional standardsWe respect and celebrate diversity and equal opportunity through an inclusive cultureWe aim for sustainability across all our activities
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Portsmouth is ranked third of all modern post-92 universities in the UK for research power.
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