Welcoming a New Generation of Change-Makers to the University of Reading

As Chancellor of the University of Reading, I could not be prouder as I reflect on an evening last week when we welcomed the very first cohort of the Global Sustainability Leaders (GSL) Scholars to the University and their scholarship. The event was more than a reception; it was a declaration of purpose — of the kind of university we aspire to be, and of the role each of our scholars will play in shaping a more sustainable future.

Why this scholarship matters

In January 2025, the University announced a major investment — £34 million over five years — to create one of the UK’s most ambitious undergraduate sustainability scholarship programmes. From its inception, the GSL scholarship was conceived not just as financial aid, but as a catalyst: to foster a community of young people across many disciplines who are committed to climate, nature, and planetary wellbeing.

Each scholar receives £6,000 annually to support living costs during their full-time study. This is significant in itself, but beyond the monetary support lies the heart of the scheme: leadership development, cross-disciplinary learning, a Development & Impact Record to track growth and engagement, and access to networks, sustainability experts, and opportunities to act. Together, this is invaluable — for each student, and for the broader society they will one day help to shape and lead.

In this first year, the University has awarded scholarships to about 240 new undergraduates, with a target of up to 400 GSL scholars per year thereafter. This scale signals a serious commitment: sustainability will not be a niche interest at Reading — it will be integral to the student experience and to the trajectories of graduates in every field.

Reading’s commitment has already attracted recognition. In 2025, the University was named Sustainable University of the Year, and this bold scholarship programme contributed to Reading being named University of the Year for Scholarships and Bursaries 2026 in The Times / Sunday Times guide. Universities are increasingly judged not only on rankings or research, but also on how they support students and engage with the planet’s challenges.

The welcome event: a moment of beginnings

At the welcome gathering of over 200 people — most of them only days into their university lives — I had the opportunity to talk with many of our new scholars. I heard about their passions for the planet, their ambitions for the future, and their determination to be the change they hope to see. I was struck by the clarity of their ambitions, the way they articulated the issues, and their excitement at beginning this unique journey.

In my address, I reflected on what this community means. These young people are not simply recipients of a bursary. They are pioneers — a founding class of leaders who will help define what “sustainability at university” truly means.

I also drew on inspiration from the gigantic Gaia art installation of Earth and from the famous Pale Blue Dotphotograph, both of which have deepened my own sense of responsibility for action. As Carl Sagan reflected of that fragile dot: “That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives … on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.”

That perspective underscores the urgency of deepening sustainability skills, mindsets, and actions. I also spoke of the challenges ahead — scepticism, setbacks, and complexity — but equally of hope, collaboration, and possibility. The diversity of disciplines among the scholars — arts, social sciences, communications, engineering, natural sciences — is itself an incredible strength. Solutions to climate and nature problems will require many voices, insights, and partnerships. The networks that these scholars, and their future cohorts, will build will be critical in creating impactful action in the years ahead.

On the night, we also heard from Dr Jonathan Dewsbury, Director of Education Estates and Net Zero at the Department for Education, and from our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Robert Van de Noort. Many faculty heads and academics were present too, underlining the University’s collective commitment to welcoming and supporting our new scholars.

Why this investment matters — for students, for Reading, for the world

Access and opportunity are central to this initiative. The scholarship supports students who might otherwise struggle to afford university life — giving them freedom to engage fully, rather than work multiple jobs to make ends meet.

Because sustainability increasingly touches every profession, the skills, insights, and networks that scholars build will be highly sought after by employers. A Reading graduate who can speak fluently, and act confidently, about climate, adaptation, systems thinking, ethical trade-offs, and resilience — whether their degree is in economics or art — will have a real advantage.

By embedding sustainability training and leadership development across undergraduate study, the University has signalled that sustainability is everyone’s responsibility and has taken leadership in helping its graduates embrace that responsibility with passion, knowledge, networks, and confidence. This is not a side stream; it is part of the core mission of higher education today.

From a broader perspective, the programme reflects our belief that universities must evolve from producing research alone to cultivating citizens, leaders, and stewards. Reading is choosing to invest — and to lead. The GSL scholarship Welcome Event was a tangible demonstration of that: a university prepared to invest in human potential for planetary benefit, and 240 young undergraduates eager to be equipped to lead.

Reflections and what’s to come

Of course, the real work is only beginning. In the weeks, months, and years ahead, these scholars — and those who follow them — will make choices, lead initiatives, and, I am sure, surprise us with solutions we cannot yet imagine. The University’s role is to support, to connect, and to catalyse — not to prescribe trajectories.

I look forward to seeing how this first cohort evolves: what student-led projects arise, what partnerships form, what research is catalysed, and what community impact is achieved. In future years, I expect we will share stories of alumni who go on to launch NGOs, advise governments, shape technologies, and lead social movements. But equally, we will hear of hundreds of others who quietly, confidently, and responsibly embed sustainability principles into their everyday jobs and careers. They will make small differences here, influence bigger differences there, and seed sustainability expertise and mindsets within strategies and cultures everywhere — all sparked by their experience as GSL scholars.