Reflections on an extraordinary year of achievements despite many challenges
As we approach the festive season, we wanted to reflect on our achievements and share our highlights of the year with you. Although none of us could have predicted 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the best in our community.
This year, we've all come together to tackle the virus, from students and staff helping out on the frontline and providing free food to NHS staff and those in need, to our researchers and experts working to tackle the virus and creating a revolutionary face shield.
We were also the first University in the UK to provide free asymptomatic testing to staff and students – enabling us to bring campus infection rates under control quicker. Throughout the pandemic, the health and wellbeing of our students has been at the heart of everything we do.
Join us in celebrating a year of achievements and resilience
Reflections on an extraordinary year
Discover our top stories of 2020
Take a closer look at some our greatest achievements as a university.
Students join the frontline in the fight against coronavirus
They have taken on roles at Queen Alexandra Hospital and local ambulance stations
Emergency food parcels for isolating students
Around 80 food parcels have been donated to students who do not have family or friends nearby
University of Portsmouth Staff Volunteer for Frontline Services During Coronavirus Pandemic
University staff are giving up their time to help frontline services in the national effort against the coronavirus pandemic
Portsmouth students join St Mary's Hospital to respond to coronavirus pandemic
The students are working as student Physician Associates to support doctors in the diagnosis and management of hospital patients
University of Portsmouth making face shields to protect health professionals from coronavirus
The face shields prevent the wearer touching their face and provide a barrier if a patient was to sneeze or cough
Portsmouth scientists to help crack the COVID-19 code
Researchers from the University of Portsmouth are being deployed to the front line in the race to understand how coronavirus spreads.
University offers COVID-19 testing for staff, students and local community
Portsmouth is the first University in the country to offer this service
New enzyme cocktail digests plastic waste six times faster
The scientists who re-engineered the plastic-eating enzyme PETase have now created an enzyme ‘cocktail’ which can digest plastic up to six times faster.
University of Portsmouth wins design award for new sports centre
Our Ravelin sports centre has won best Public Sector Project design at the BREEAM Awards 2020
New Centre to Drive Sustainable Development of Marine and Freshwater Environments
Sailing legend, Dee Caffari MBE, the first woman to sail single-handed and non-stop around the world in both directions, was the special guest at the launch event.
Astrophysicists Fill In 11 Billion Years of Universe Expansion History
The results were contributed to by experts from the University’s Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation.
