The University's identity

The University of Sheffield has roots going back to 1828 and was founded formally in 1905 via penny donations from the local citizens. The aim was to bring higher education within reach of the children of the people working in the great industries of Sheffield, to give support to those industries and to serve as a centre for the study of diseases. The University is proud of its origins and continues to value the role it has come to play in its city and region.

From its earliest days the city of Sheffield has been renowned for its steel. Its hallmark - for technical innovation and guaranteed quality - is the 'Made in Sheffield' stamp. Its many innovations in steel were rooted in practice, prompted by observation and made possible by understanding. They frequently changed the world.

The University's culture was endowed from the start with the best qualities of the city - excellence and innovation, curiosity, friendliness, independence of thought, and a preference for action over rhetoric. Combined over time with a determination to make a significant impact on global as well as local and regional challenges, these longstanding characteristics have created a distinctive identity for the University.

The University has expanded from its original intake of 114 students to nearly 25,000, who now study across a broad range of areas spanning arts and humanities, social sciences, medicine, science and engineering. We promote the potential for higher education to transform people’s lives and welcome a hugely diverse range of staff and students from around the world to our city. We recognise too that some issues of international importance in the 21st century are entirely different from those of the past. We seek to play a leading role in the research and teaching needed to address the biggest issues facing our world today.

Over the years the growing extent of our ambition and the increasing number of exchanges of people and ideas has developed the University’s reach. We are now a truly international university with a world-wide reputation.