University of Birmingham

Celebrating Birmingham pride on and off the pitch ⚽
What a fantastic day at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park as the Trevor Francis Memorial Cup Finals brought together young talent, families, and our city community.

As proud partners of Birmingham City FC, we were delighted to support this inspiring tournament – and even prouder to see our medical students offering free health checks to fans throughout the day, as well as our students who gave pre-match talks and acted as match presenters.

This was a fantastic day showcasing the power of sport to inspire. Bringing together schools from across Birmingham and Solihull, the tournament created an unforgettable experience for young people not only through sport, but through character development inspired by Trevor Francis’ values of dedication, humility and resilience.

This competition reflects the goal the University shares with our partners at BCFC to inspire young people across the city and region to greater sporting and academic heights.
Congratulations to all who took part, and to Tudor Grange Academy and Plantsbrook School on their brilliant wins! 👏

🔗 Read more:

Ranking success!
The University has climbed two places to 12th in the Complete University Guide 2027, reinforcing our position among the UK’s leading universities.

This continued upward momentum reflects our commitment to delivering an outstanding, research-intensive education that equips students with the skills, knowledge and confidence to succeed in their careers and beyond.

This ranking rise follows a strong performance in the recent National Student Survey, outperforming the sector with a 4.2% improvement.

We’re proud to be continuing our trajectory as a world-leading institution, shaping future leaders and driving research that makes a difference.

🔗 Read more: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2026/university-of-birmingham-rises-two-places-in-the-complete-university-guide-2027

We’re proud to call Birmingham our home 💛
From its creativity and culture to its resilience and sense of community, this city a truly special place.

What do you love about living and working in Birmingham?

It might be that walk along the canal, a favourite café, a view you never get tired of, or the moment the city started to feel like home.

We’d love to hear those memories, places and moments that make our city special to you!

Congratulations to Aston Villa FC on their stunning Europa League victory - a fantastic achievement and a proud moment for our city 👏

YOUR EUROPA LEAGUE WINNERS – ASTON VILLA! 😍

Love trees? Here’s your chance to step inside a unique collaboration between research and art 🌳
Everything in the Forest is the Forest, by artist Clare Hewitt, is a response to a government report suggesting that loneliness and isolation are increasing in rural areas of the UK, and celebrates trees and their ability to nurture and communicate.

Setting up a studio within a circle of 12 oak trees at the University’s Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR FACE), Claire documented the forest and its seasonal changes, exploring nature and the forest through a range of sustainable photography techniques.

The exhibition draws on five years of immersive work in this living research forest, offering a new perspective on how trees and ecosystems support one another. It also marks a major milestone for BIFoR FACE; 10 years of pioneering carbon dioxide enrichment research.

📍 Midlands Arts Centre
🗓️ Until 31 Aug
🎟️ Entry to the exhibition is free
🔗 https://macbirmingham.co.uk/exhibitions/clare-hewitt-everything-in-the-forest-is-the-forest

Breaking news! We're delighted to share that one of the peregrine falcon eggs has hatched successfully! 🐣

Have you joined the watch party? Make sure you visit our YouTube channel to see them live on our BirdCam.
Further updates to follow . . .
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/live/Dy-iWmyYIBk

It's Deafness Awareness Week, and our researchers are finding ways to make education more accessible.
Thanks to a new partnership with Pearson, a pioneering suite of free British Sign Language resources are now available for teaching Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet in all UK secondary schools.

Signing Shakespeare has been led by Professor Abigail Rokison-Woodall, at our Shakespeare Institute, working with students and Braidwood School for the Deaf, who have been using the resources.

The national rollout is supported by Jodie Ounsley - aka Fury from the BBC hit Gladiators, former rugby player and BSL Advocate.

Tell your school about this new free resource, designed to make a key part of the curriculum and the work of Britain's most famous writer, accessible for everyone.

🔗 If you're a teacher or work in education, you can download the resources, videos and lesson plans for free: https://www.pearson.com/en-gb/schools/subject-resources/literacy-and-english/diversity-in-lit/signing-shakespeare.html

Getting teenagers to eat well at school isn’t always easy but it can make a real difference to their health, learning and wellbeing 🍽️

Researchers here at Birmingham have worked with School Food Matters on a new report exploring how secondary schools can create healthier food environments for young people. The research looks beyond what’s on the menu, focusing on a whole school approach - where food education, school meals and everyday school culture all work together.
Our earlier research showed how challenging this can be in secondary schools, where busy schedules, packed days and different food providers can get in the way of healthy choices. This new report focuses on what actually helps schools make healthy food part of everyday life for pupils.

The findings come at an important time, as school food standards are set to be updated for the first time in more than ten years. With many parents concerned about what their children are eating during the school day, this research helps show what works, and why school food deserves attention.

🔗 Read more about the research here: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2026/new-research-highlights-key-conditions-for-successfully-improving-school-food-in-secondary-schools

The Sekine Quartet are back at the Lapworth Museum this summer with two classical shows.
Whether you're a fan of legendary rock bands or love 70s/80s pop, you'll get to listen to a beautiful string quartet in the shadow of our campus dinosaur.

🗓️ Monday 8 June
Legends of Rock 6pm - covers of classic rock songs by the likes of Metallica, Nirvana, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones and more.
🎟️ https://sekine-legends-of-rock-lapworth.eventbrite.co.uk/?aff=ec

Queen and ABBA 8pm - string tribute to the two iconic groups.
🎟️ https://sekine-abba-queen-lapworth.eventbrite.co.uk/?aff=ec