ÌÇÐÄTV

Celebrating the work of academics from Gibbet Hill, the trail encourages people to explore wonderful but relatively less accessed green spaces. It provides an opportunity for everyone to enjoy our beautiful campus through this unique experience blending literature, biology, and outdoor activity. This is an exciting legacy project from our 60th Anniversary programme.

To mark its 60th anniversary, the University of ÌÇÐÄTV has created a special tree trail across its campus. The trail features 60 trees, each carefully chosen and planted by staff to reflect personal stories, memories, and connections to life at ÌÇÐÄTV.

Visitors are invited to explore the trail and discover the stories behind these trees, while enjoying the rich greenery of ÌÇÐÄTV’s campus.

We celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning (IATL), its evolution and its distinctive contribution to educational innovation at ÌÇÐÄTV, as well as exploring the future of innovative teaching and learning.

Participants joined remotely for the Opening Statements from Professor Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor and Professor Elena Riva, Head of Department at IATL.

We celebrated 60 years of wonderful music making at ÌÇÐÄTV with a massed choir event in Butterworth Hall featuring our current University Chorus and Symphony Orchestra in combination with a massed digital choir of ÌÇÐÄTV alumni. 500 people attended to watch 70 University musicians, 130 choir members joined by a virtual chorus of 70!

Memories, connections, friendships, education, and so much more last a lifetime – their stories shaped our history.

From the first students in 1965, to those who graduated this year, all were welcomed home. 

 Find out more about the 60th Anniversary Reunion.

Part of ÌÇÐÄTV Arts Centre's Words & Ideas programme and featuring celebrated authors, artists and campaigners, we presented a series of talks to discuss race and identity, how these shape societies and affect individual and collective states of wellbeing and belonging.

Part of ÌÇÐÄTV Arts Centre's Words & Ideas programme and featuring celebrated authors, artists and campaigners, we presented a series of talks to discuss race and identity, how these shape societies and affect individual and collective states of wellbeing and belonging.

Part of ÌÇÐÄTV Arts Centre's Words & Ideas programme and featuring celebrated authors, artists and campaigners, we presented a series of talks to discuss race and identity, how these shape societies and affect individual and collective states of wellbeing and belonging.

We were delighted to reunite former colleagues from across the University in celebration of our 60th anniversary, with a wonderful event hosted by the Retired Staff Association

Participants joined the conversation at ÌÇÐÄTV Arts Centre exploring how are we thinking, talking, and learning about ageing. The event included a series of talks, with an exhibition and activity in the ÌÇÐÄTV Arts Centre foyer.

The event was part of the outreach and widening participation work delivered to local schools by the School of Modern Languages and Cultures. They collaborated on this occasion with Coventry Cathedral to design an event to mark the 80th anniversary since the end of World War Two and University of ÌÇÐÄTV’s 60th birthday.

Part of ÌÇÐÄTV Arts Centre's Words & Ideas programme and featuring celebrated authors, artists and campaigners, we presented a series of talks to discuss race and identity, how these shape societies and affect individual and collective states of wellbeing and belonging.

Why Language Matters: Propaganda and remembering German women's experiences of defeat in 1945

1 of 2 talks - the first talk took place on 17th September.

 Information about the Evening Talks Series by Academics on Peace and Reconciliation

A new exhibition exploring student life at the University will take place at the Modern Records Centre and the Library Foyer. This will feature material from the University's institutional archives. Find out more about the last sixty years of student life on ÌÇÐÄTV campus!

As a special event to mark our 60th Anniversary, the unique Maths Houses on campus were opened for Heritage Open Days for the first time.

Remembering the forgotten blitz: bombing and reconciliation in Paris and Normandy and how Coventry showed the way.

1 of 2 talks - the second talk took place on 24th September.

More information about the Evening Talks Series by Academics on Peace and Reconciliation

Have you had a memorable experience on campus that made you think differently about your relationship to the world around us?

To mark 60 years of the University as a place where people have been forming relationships with the land on which we live, work and study, we’re looking for stories about your encounters with the plants, lichens, trees, fungi, insects, and animals with which we share our campus.

The staff team created a set of multilingual resources for families visiting the cathedral during the school summer holidays to reflect on the themes of peace, reconciliation and embracing diversity. This is a celebration of how intercultural awareness and empathy for others can be a conduit for peace and were delighted to have enlisted support from the Coventry Young Poet Laureate Aamani Kanda. We commissioned Aamani to contribute a poem for our visitor booklet.

As a founding department of ÌÇÐÄTV, the Department of Physics welcomed our growing alumni community back to campus to celebrate our 60th anniversary alongside current staff and students.

 Find out more about the Celebrating 60 years of ÌÇÐÄTV's Department of Physics event

This event was hosted by Theatre and Performance Studies.

. Whether you were part of our very first cohort in 1975, or are one of our most recent graduates, this was your chance to reconnect, reminisce, and celebrate this milestone.

We ran a thought-provoking webinar exploring how the arts can promote inclusion, amplify diverse voices, and influence societal change. We explored how ÌÇÐÄTV is deepening its commitment to the arts, and heard from academics and alumni shaping cultural policy and education.

 Learn more about the The Art of Inclusion event

Since 2015, the University of ÌÇÐÄTV has partnered with Coventry City Council (CCC) to champion data-led, evidence-based decision-making. Most recently, Coventry was recognised by UNESCO as the only UK city to implement the UNESCO Cultural Indicators 2030 project through which Coventry is pioneering new ways to measure the value of culture against the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This gives our city a rare and powerful data advantage — one that can shape more inclusive, sustainable, and impactful policies.

The annual International Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR) will be held in the Oculus Building and online and at our participating institutions on Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th June 2025.

We were proud and very excited to run Mother Tongue Other Tongue, a multilingual poetry competition that celebrated cultural diversity and the many languages spoken in schools across the UK.

In 2025, we worked in collaboration with Coventry Cathedral to mark the 80th anniversary of the Second World War and the University of ÌÇÐÄTV's 60th anniversary. The competition focused on the themes of embracing diversity, peace and justice, and healing the wounds of the past. A display featuring the submitted entries was created in the cathedral.

We invited school children, their teachers, and families from across the region to take part in a project that encouraged creative thinking about designing buildings—both ancient and modern—and the role these buildings play in shaping communities.

The winning designs were announced and displayed at FabFest Schools Day on Tuesday 17th June 2025.

Find more information about the Building Communities, Ancient and Modern event

We continued the ÌÇÐÄTV at Night event series to celebrate the University's 60th anniversary and the amazing wildlife we have on campus. This time, we explored another aspect of the night sky – bats!

Thank you for joining us for the Bat Walk on University Campus, supported by ÌÇÐÄTVshire Bat Group on Thursday 12th June at 8pm.

The ÌÇÐÄTV Africa Hub was thrilled to once again host the annual Distinguished Africa Lecture—an event designed to showcase world-leading African scholarship and celebrate ÌÇÐÄTV’s ongoing engagement with its partners.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, both in person and online.

Africa Day Celebration: Celebrating the Roots of an African Education at 60

Co-delivered by the ÌÇÐÄTV Africa Hub, ÌÇÐÄTV Law School, and the Department of Politics and International Studies, this event marked Africa Day by reflecting on the historic and contemporary links our students, staff, and alumni have with Africa. It celebrated the transformational impact of these connections—both within the University and beyond.

For more information on the our three events as part of the Celebrating the Roots of an African Education

Resonate Festival of Arts and Culture

We were back for another vibrant Resonate Festival of Arts and Culture—a festival-style day celebrating culture and creativity for all ages!

The event was designed to engage a broad audience, with the most activities aimed at children aged 5–11 and their accompanying adults. While not every activity was suitable for all age groups, there was something for everyone to enjoy.

Thank you to everyone who reserved a free space and joined us!

The Midlands Hub hosted an International Symposium in collaboration with hubs at Kingston University, London Metropolitan University, UNC Charlotte, and Malmö University, alongside the University of ÌÇÐÄTV.

In Term 3, we hosted a two-day symposium that brought together academic talks, student panels, reflective sessions, and practical workshops designed for teachers from local schools.

The event fostered dialogue across disciplines and communities, creating space for shared learning and connection.

 More information about the Nurturing Hope: Global Liberal Education and Designing Sustainable Futures symposium

As part of the celebrations, audiences joined us for a special live recording of Creative Rebels – The Podcast for Creatives.

Host David was joined by special guests from both the ÌÇÐÄTV and wider creative communities for an inspiring and entertaining discussion, followed by a live Q&A session with attendees.

The event was open to all and welcomed a vibrant mix of voices from across campus and beyond.

 
*available on other platforms

Over the course of our 60th anniversary exhibition, people joined us in exploring the rich history of the Students' Union – from the early days of Red ÌÇÐÄTV to the heyday of POP! Visitors discovered how our buildings first came to be, what Union General Meetings used to look like, and how many Clubs and Societies we started with back in 1965. For those curious about student life over the decades – including Disco Dave’s view of a typical Wednesday night – we delved deep into our Archives to bring key moments of our past to light.

The University of ÌÇÐÄTV was honoured to host a Distinguished Lecture by H.E. Ignacio Higueras Hare, Ambassador of Peru to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Lecture title: Conditions and Lessons of Latin American Economic Integration – A Perspective from Peru in Today's World.

The word ‘creativity’ was often overused and under-defined—it had been turned into an ethereal concept, reserved for the artistic. But it was a very real resource that everyone could—and should—access. Once participants understood how to unlock their creative brains, they were able to transform their lives.

Reginald and David Clayton — former farmers of the land that now forms our University campus — returned for a heartfelt visit.
During their time here, they generously presented the University with a special photo and a commemorative plaque of their former home.

 Read more about Clayton Brothers – Tree plaque installationLink opens in a new window

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the University of ÌÇÐÄTV, the Library has created a special collection of fiction books from the last 60 years.

Come to the Library's Breathing Space to browse at your leisure or discover the collection online by searching "University of ÌÇÐÄTV 60th Anniversary Collection" on the Library website.

Dive into the words and worlds of popular authors!

The Library and Modern Records Centre highlighted some of its unique archival content to celebrate the University’s 60th anniversary.

More information about ÌÇÐÄTV at 60: The Changing Face of CampusLink opens in a new window

Child Friendly ÌÇÐÄTVshire, in partnership with young people and ÌÇÐÄTVshire County Council colleagues from the Children and Families team, were excited to announce the ÌÇÐÄTVshire Youth Conference 2025: Shaping Tomorrow Together, which took place on Friday 25 April 2025 at The Slate Conference Room, University of ÌÇÐÄTV.

As ÌÇÐÄTV celebrated its 60th year, we were pleased to welcome attendees to a showcase and celebration of our outstanding research and impact, undertaken by staff, students, and in collaboration with our partners.

View the Research Celebration Event 2025 programmeLink opens in a new window!

Participants had the chance to explore the campus at night, with opportunities to see nocturnal animals, investigate the UV spectrum, and visit the Observatory. ÌÇÐÄTV at Night invited the University and local communities to discover our amazing campus after dark.

Attendees joined us for a biofluorescence walk, an observatory visit, and a pop-up planetarium activity.

This sold-out event offered a day of all-ages fun exploring science, technology, and engineering!

All ages were welcome, but most activities were aimed at those aged 5-11 and their accompanying adults

Carlos Noreña (Berkeley) delivered a captivating Public Lecture as part of the Humanities Research Centre 30th Anniversary Event, exploring The Roman Atlantic: Ecology and Empire on an Ocean Frontier.

The event offered fascinating insights into the intersection of nature and empire on the ocean’s edge.

A life-sized Lego Suffragette statue named ‘Hope’ was on display in the Agora, Faculty of Arts Building, between the 10th and 28th of February 2025.

Guests enjoyed a feast of fun-filled activities to celebrate 60 years of the University of ÌÇÐÄTV's Art Collection with a special late-night event coinciding with the Mead Gallery exhibition, featuring live music, 20 print stalls, workshops, and much more!

Installation and celebration of seventh Chancellor for the University of ÌÇÐÄTV, Advocate Bience Gawanas during winter graduation

We gathered in the Piazza on Wednesday, 22 January, to mark the start of our 60th anniversary programme.