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Goal 4: Quality education

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Working in partnership both locally and globally, we are tackling each of the UN Sustainable Development Goals through our research and knowledge exchange, education and student experience, and through our operations. Discover how our unique commitments align with and support Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education.

Research and knowledge exchange

The University of Liverpool supports SDG 4 through impactful research that addresses educational inequities and explores innovative approaches to improving student learning and outcomes. As a distinguished member of the Russell Group, the University is internationally recognised for its pioneering research. Lecture capture affects student learning behaviour looks at how the real-time recording of live lectures may negatively affect some students' attendance and study behaviour. New analysis from the Child of the North: Addressing Education and Health Inequity report found the schools funding imbalance corresponds with children in the North having higher school absences and experience poor educational outcomes.

Operations

The University of Liverpool supports SDG 4 by promoting inclusive, high-quality education through innovative programs, community partnerships, open access to knowledge, and opportunities for lifelong learning. Our IntoUniversity North Liverpool partnership empowers talented young people from all backgrounds to excel academically and believe in their potential to attend university. Staff can enhance students' experiences and support future employability by offering graduate career opportunities, mentoring, supporting recruitment efforts, or serving as School Governors. The Centre for Innovation collaborates with faculty and program teams to elevate the student experience through thoughtful and impactful curriculum design. Our libraries champion Open Access, ensuring research is freely available to everyone. Through our Continuing Education programs, we provide a diverse range of courses, lectures, and events, along with free access to podcasts, blogs, and articles. The Victoria Gallery & Museum offers an array of educational workshops, talks, activities, and resources, all available at no cost to the public. In July 2023, we held our annual Learning & Teaching Conference, a cornerstone event that celebrates and advances teaching excellence across the institution.

Education and student experience

The University of Liverpool received the highest gold rating in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), a national program by the Office for Students recognizing excellence in teaching, learning, and positive student outcomes. The Liverpool 2031 framework prioritises Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) across the curriculum, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Through the Curriculum Project, a sustainability working group has been established to integrate ESD into all academic areas, preparing graduates as responsible global citizens. In 2022, the University met its Sustainability Strategy target, ensuring all students have access to sustainability-focused modules, extracurriculars, or other relevant learning opportunities. The Student Sustainability Hub, a joint initiative of Careers and Employability and the Centre for Innovation in Education, serves as a central resource for students interested in sustainability, offering the Student Sustainability Network, resources, guidance, and events. Students can also enrol in the Sustainability in Action online course to explore the Sustainable Development Goals and audit curriculum modules for SDG relevance, contributing feedback for curricular improvements. Upon graduation, students receive a digital Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR), documenting both academic and extracurricular achievements. The University of Liverpool Maths School is the only school in the North West specialising in A Levels in Maths, Further Maths, Computer Science, and Physics, offering a unique and stimulating academic curriculum. The Centre for Higher Education Studies supports high-quality education and research, with modules like Strategic Learning, Training, and Development, which foster critical understanding of strategic learning's role.

Case Studies

Achieving TEF Gold

The University of Liverpool was awarded the highest rating, Gold, in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023. Run by the Office for Students (OfS), TEF is a national scheme that aims to encourage higher education providers to improve and deliver excellence in the areas that undergraduate students care about the most: teaching, learning and achieving positive outcomes from their studies. The TEF does this by assessing and rating universities and colleges for excellence above a set of minimum requirements for quality and standards across the range of its undergraduate courses and subjects. The Gold rating in TEF 2023 underlines our commitment to world class teaching and learning, with teaching delivered by leading experts and research-connected curricula across our courses. Employability is embedded throughout our undergraduate programmes, and our graduates enjoy high employability rates.  The TEF panel rated the inclusion of student voice at Liverpool to be very high quality with some outstanding features and the panel specifically noted the embedding of student voices across multiple layers of activity in relation to the University’s strategy and policy development. The TEF panel also noted the “unusually wide range of examples” of research, innovation and professional practice being brought together into a suite of curricular and co-curricular opportunities. The diverse ways in which research is fed into the syllabus, developing students’ understanding of research processes and engaging them in enquiry-based projects as producers of knowledge, were specifically referenced. So too were the growing number of student experience enterprise-related activities and the use of employers at every stage; from supplying real life data to contextualise learning content to providing authentic project briefs for collaborative group tasks.

Empowering staff with sustainability training

During Sustainability Week, the Sustainability Team, in partnership with The Academy introduced a comprehensive sustainability training module for all University staff. Available on the Learnwell platform, the Sustainability and Climate Change module offers foundational knowledge on climate change and adopts a “triple bottom line” perspective, addressing people, planet, and profit. This module underscores the importance of sustainability, detailing practical ways to integrate it into daily work and make positive contributions to the University’s mission. The sustainability training webpage offers additional resources, such as carbon literacy training, key policies, and a curated LinkedIn playlist on topics like the circular economy and sustainability leadership. These resources equip new and existing staff with a strong introduction to sustainability in higher education, covering global and national issues and the University's strategies for addressing them, including the role everyone can play. Throughout the year, the Sustainability Team engaged staff and students in campus-wide activities, including the How Bad are Bananas? carbon literacy game. These initiatives aim to deepen staff engagement, align individual roles with the University’s sustainability goals, and support our Climate Plan targets. Through these efforts, staff are empowered to contribute meaningfully to the University’s journey toward a sustainable and environmentally responsible future.

Supporting refugees into Higher Education

The University of Liverpool signed up to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) Global Pledge for expanding refugee access to Higher Education. The UNHRC, with its global network, aims to expand access to higher education and self-reliance for refugee and host community youth. It has launched this global initiative which recognises the range of essential contributions that can be made by stakeholders around the world. The University is committed to providing up to 4 Asylum Seekers Scholarships each year for undergraduate students who are seeking asylum in the UK or are dependents of 2-3 Humanitarian Scholarships for Masters students who have refugee status outside the UK or for Ukrainian Nationals who have EU temporary protected status. The Humanitarian Scholarships are offered across a wide range of subjects, with one dedicated to law courses funded through the School of Law and Social Justice. In addition, the English Language Centre provides support for students to be equipped with the language skills they need to fully participate in the courses when they arrive in Liverpool. The Humanitarian Scholarship and Asylum Bursary, along with membership of Cara and support for British Academy Researchers at Risk, form part of the University’s commitment to applying for University of Sanctuary status and its commitment to supporting global humanitarian initiatives.

Prestigious student internships

University of Liverpool Chancellor and United States District Judge, Wendy Beetlestone, selected two students from the Liverpool Law School to undertake a prestigious 2024 summer internship in the chambers of Judge Beetlestone at the United States District Court in Pennsylvania. The internship offered the successful applicants’ first-hand exposure to real-world cases, legal research and the inner workings of the US District Court. Students were fully immersed in a dynamic working environment, allowing them to develop their workplace legal skills. The students were selected as part of a competitive application process with students from the School of Law and Social Justice. An alumna of the University, Judge Beetlestone graduated with a BA (Hons) in Philosophy in 1984. She embarked on a career as a TV journalist before entering the legal profession a decade later. In 2014, former President Barack Obama nominated her to serve as a District Judge, presiding over civil and criminal cases involving the US Constitution, federal statutes, and certain disputes between citizens of different states.