The York Narrative

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The knowledge and learning sectors are central to The York Narrative, and it is time to make your stories heard. It is in your hands to change perceptions of York; building on its recognition as a heritage city and showing it to be a forward-thinking, creative, surprising and vibrant place where every person matters, and where all can play their part in progressing a thriving and sustainable future.

Whether you’re a university department, a research body, a school or a skills hub, The York Narrative will help you communicate a modern, relevant and engaging story of York to audiences, to recruit students and retain the skilled talent pool you need, to attract like-minded academics and research partnerships and drive growth – and do it in a way which benefits from joined-up thinking and common purpose. By working together, York will stand out from the competition and become clearly associated with the values it stands for.

“As a university at the heart of York, the narrative provides us with a strategic framework and shared language so we can all be part of the city’s ambition. As the post-Covid-19 future unfolds, the narrative will help us share the value of the York brand and develop new thinking and ways of working in partnership for the benefit of everyone connected to our city.”

York St John University

Key Facts

At whatever age or level of study, York offers outstanding educational and academic research prospects:

York’s two universities create a supportive, safe and exciting learning environment for academic learning and student experience. The National Student Survey has the University of York top of the Russell Group for overall satisfaction.

York has 84 schools & colleges, 16 of which were rated as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

The University of York was the UK’s 51st largest university by student enrolment in 2018 – with 18,800 students and approx. 4,000 employees.

85% of both university’s 2018 graduate cohorts were satisfied with the quality of their courses – placing University of York and St John joint 51st out of 154 UK universities.

York St John University, a Stonewall Top 25 most inclusive employer, reported around 850 employees and 6,700 registered students in 2018.

University of York is currently ranked 17th for UK Research Council Income, and is seeking to further strengthen the organisation’s reputation for research excellence.

York will be one of 9 new creative hubs across the UK that share a £80m investment promise. Led by the Arts & Humanities Research Council, the project aims to drive the creation of jobs, companies, products and experiences that can be marketed around the world.

The Creative Centre, a new arts, design and performance centre with innovative teaching and community spaces on York St John’s campus has been given the green light

Case Study: The Centre for Applied Human Rights

The University of York was founded in 1963 on the principles of excellence and opportunity for all. It is a welcoming and safe place for refugees, asylum seekers and other people who have been forced to migrate. The Centre for Applied Human Rights brings Human Rights Defenders, who risk their lives to fight global injustice and strengthen democracy, to York to share their expertise, and is working to become a University of Sanctuary in 2020.

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The Narrative Toolkit

Whether you want to recruit teaching staff, community governors or undergraduates, attract research investment or develop student-community programmes, the toolkit is designed to help you adopt The York Narrative with a framework for implementation, how-to guidelines for each stage and downloadable resources for you to adapt and use in your organisation.

View the toolkit

Case Study: York Festival of Ideas

The York Festival of Ideas aims to enhance York’s reputation as a city of ideas and innovation and is built on a passionate belief in the power of education and ideas to transform lives. Growing year-on-year, the Festival attracts an audience of well over 30,000 and works in partnership with more than 100 local and national organisations.

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