Dear students,

At the beginning of the year, none of us would have predicted the changes which the pandemic has wrought on all of our lives. Accommodating such a radical shift in such a short time is not simple, so you should be very proud of what you have accomplished in the last few months.

I know you will have faced major disruptions and challenges in your life including having to attempt to complete your degree remotely, in some cases thousands of miles away from the College.  As a community you have risen to the challenge and supported each other and I am immensely proud of all of you, and of the staff who have worked so hard to make remote study possible. For many, these last few months have been extremely difficult. Note that our  student support services are still available to help you.

I hope that you can now take some time to relax with friends and family, enjoy the last of the summer and continue to adapt to the new ways of life we are all facing.

Many of you that are soon to complete your studies will be eager to move on to the next challenge, however I am aware that for some of you the pandemic has resulted in an unfortunate delay to the end of your programme, largely due to a lack of access to campus. We are working to resolve this and find ways to help you achieve your goals.

You will be aware that we are in the process of opening up our campus gradually, so that teaching, training and research activities can take place in person. The safe return to campus has necessitated a staged return for students, and our primary concern has been for your safety. We have put in place a set of guidelines that will help to ensure this, respecting social distancing, safe movement around campus, face coverings, and regular cleaning.

Over the summer, we have been regularly updating our website with more information relevant to postgraduate research masters students. Do also take advantage of our careers service and find out how they can help you now or in the future.

In the meantime, please look after yourselves, whether you are due to graduate soon or you will be with us for a little while longer.

Best wishes,

Ian