A Legacy of Innovation and Progress
Founded in 1952 as a technical college, the university now known as the University of Hertfordshire was originally established to train aerospace engineers—a mission bounded by its inception on land donated by the de Havilland Aircraft Company (University of Hertfordshire). Over the decades, Herts was a thriving polytechnic and ultimately became a full university in 1992 (University of Hertfordshire).
Today, “Herts. Beats Faster” aptly captures the university’s spirit—a vibrant, entrepreneurial, and open institution that is inspiring nearly 35,000 students from over 110 countries through more than 700 vocationally-focused degrees and robust industry partnerships (University of Hertfordshire).
Academic Excellence, Global Recognition
Herts was awarded a Silver award under the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023) and is the first and only university to have been awarded the prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in 2024 (University of Hertfordshire, University Alliance). It also attained a 5 Stars (Excellent) rating by QS Stars and ranked 1st in the East of England in student satisfaction in the 2024 NSS (University of Hertfordshire, University Alliance).
Campuses That Inspire
College Lane Campus
The former Hatfield Technical College campus currently accommodates a state-of-the-art Learning Resource Centre, the striking Spectra building (£100M engineering and robotics centre), and iconic Student Union hub “The Forum” (Wikipedia, University of Hertfordshire).
de Havilland Campus
built on the site of an earlier aerospace building, this £120M complex houses the Law and Business Schools, the Sports Village, Weston Auditorium, and even a replica courtroom used for both teaching and film (e.g., EastEnders) (Wikipedia, kettlemag.co.uk, For The Facts UK).
Bayfordbury Observatory & Field Station
Located 6 miles north of Hatfield, this first-rate astronomy site consists of optical and radio telescopes, a planetarium, and public outreach facilities alongside atmospheric research equipment (Wikipedia).
Other amenities are Meridian House for the education of paramedics and Hertfordshire Intensive Care & Emergency Simulation Centre (HICESC), which promotes simulation-based learning to the cutting edge of health care learning (Wikipedia).
Trailblazing Plans and Strategic Vision
In January 2025, Herts published its Strategy 2025–2030, with bold aims: join the UK top 50 universities, improve research quality, and achieve the top 25% for Knowledge Exchange and student satisfaction—and become a net-zero carbon business by 2050 (University of Hertfordshire, BBC).
Complementing these aspirations, the city council endorsed a masterplan in late 2024 for new business and medicine schools, improved green spaces, and clearance of old buildings for new construction (BBC, BBC).
A Rich Student Experience
Herts thrives with vibrant cultural and extracurricular life—its campus venue, The Forum, has welcomed big hitters such as One Direction and Ellie Goulding, and even features on Ed Sheeran’s Lego House video (kettlemag.co.uk). There has been student radio (Crush) broadcasting since 1960, and the university’s formula student team, UH Racing, is among the world’s best (kettlemag.co.uk).
Renowned for social mobility and inclusiveness, Herts gained a Race Equality Charter mark and is in the top 20 of UK universities for social mobility, with proactive policies that reduce degree awarding differences (kettlemag.co.uk).
Final Thoughts
University of Hertfordshire achieves a wonderful balance between heritage and horizon. With vibrant student life, world-class facilities, and a global agenda to make a difference, it’s poised to unleash individual potential and collective advancement. From Herts to the world, so to speak.
