University of Westminster

Congratulations to Professor Mykaell Riley, Director of our Black Music Research Unit and Lead Researcher for our Bass Culture project, who has been awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for his outstanding services to research and education around Black British Music 🏆

A founding member of the Grammy‑winning reggae band Steel Pulse, Professor Riley has spent over four decades shaping the sound, study and understanding of Black British music. His career spans chart‑topping production, groundbreaking cultural research and transformative leadership in higher education. He continues to bridge music, academia and cultural policy, shaping how Black British music is understood, valued and taught 👏

Riley is the first Professor of Black British music in the UK. As Director of our BMRU, Professor Riley has led landmark research projects that have reshaped national conversations about Black British cultural history. In 2024, he curated the Beyond the Bassline: 500 Years of Black British Music at the British Library - the first major exhibition of its kind, attracting national and international attention. Most recently, Professor Riley contributed to the UK Music Black Music Means Business Report. He is currently Principal Investigator on the Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded EQUALIZE project, in collaboration with music charity Young Sounds UK, to research access to electronic and Black music in schools, with a focus on influencing government policy to diversify music curriculums across the country 💫

Alongside his research leadership, Professor Riley has played a central role in developing one of the UK’s most innovative music degree programmes at our University, which recently marked the 30th anniversary of our Music course - the only degree in the country offering real‑time learning, professional work placements and on‑screen credits on a major TV drama. Under Professor Riley’s musical direction, our students composed and produced the entire original soundtrack for three series of the BBC’s hit comedy‑drama BOARDERS 🙌

Professor Riley also created Britain’s first Black pop string section, the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra, and his work as a writer and producer includes UK No. 1 hits for Mark Morrison, East 17 and Soul II Soul ✨

🔗 Find out more about Professor Mykaell Riley: https://bit.ly/44rbQK2

Our IOM - UN Migration Internship Programme has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Employability International Impact category of The PIE PIEoneer Awards, which honours organisations that are actively improving the potential employability outcomes for their international students 🙌

Now in its fifth year, our partnership with the United Nations IOM has grown into a flagship global mobility initiative, offering our international and home students the opportunity to undertake specialist internships across IOM offices worldwide. Recent cohorts have been placed in locations including Austria, Senegal, Switzerland, Tunisia, Botswana, Costa Rica, Burundi, Jordan and Greece, contributing to projects that reflect IOM’s operational breadth 💫

Our programme provides hands‑on experience in areas such as migration governance, humanitarian and crisis response, health programming, climate‑related initiatives, project coordination, communications and policy research. Interns receive structured professional development, mentoring from IOM experts and exposure to the realities of working within a major international organisation 👏

Since its launch, the initiative has supported a growing number of our students across multiple countries, with many progressing into roles in NGOs, intergovernmental organisations, government departments and international development agencies. Several interns have gone on to secure positions within their teams at IOM, demonstrating our programme’s strong employability impact ✨

The initiative is supported through our outward mobility funding and philanthropic contributions, ensuring our students from all backgrounds can access international career pathways. It forms a key part of our commitment to widening participation in global mobility and strengthening our students’ future‑focused employability 💛

The award ceremony will take place on 4 September at London's historic Guildhall 🏆

🔗 Find out more: https://bit.ly/4oIcdJN

On Windrush Day, we celebrate the legacy and contributions of the Windrush generation and their lasting impact on British society, culture and communities ✨

Happy Summer Solstice to everyone in our Westminster community celebrating ☀️

We are proud to announce that we have expanded our Westminster Community Counselling Service. Our WCCS aims to help address the growing demand for mental health support across the borough, particularly for under-served communities, and give our graduates and trainees the chance to put their studies into practice 🙌

The WCCS is our university-led counselling service offering weekly sessions delivered by trainee counsellors with fees on a sliding scale from free to £35, and no eligibility criteria. People with no income, such as refugees, can access sessions at no cost, while others, such as those on maternity leave, can pay reduced rates 🫶

Sessions are delivered by trainee psychotherapists on our two-year Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling course as part of their clinical training, with full supervision from qualified academics. This model both helps to provide affordable care in the city while training the next generation of practitioners 💫

The service provides targeted support using evidence-based methods for treating a variety of conditions, such as depression and anxiety, which are two of the most prevalent conditions in the borough according to the City of Westminster’s Joint Strategic Needs Assessment ✨

Our WCCS is committed to addressing the rising prevalence of anxiety and depression, reducing the disproportionate mental health challenges faced by LGBTQ+ and ethnic minority communities, and tackling the stark health inequalities across the UK. The service will prioritise reaching the under-served population of the City of Westminster’s most deprived wards, where, according to the JSNA, around 28% of residents report high levels of anxiety overall 💛

🔗 Find out more: https://bit.ly/4uQCNBU

We recently welcomed a visiting group of 12 students and two faculty members from Purdue University in the United States for a day of scientific discovery and laboratory experience at our School of Life Sciences’ state-of-the-art Genomics Suite and our Centre for Gene Editors of the Future 🙌

Throughout the day, the visiting students participated in a series of interactive teaching sessions designed to introduce them to the theoretical and practical applications of genomics in modern science and healthcare. The programme included lectures on laboratory health and safety, diagnostics, monitoring and genetic therapies with Dr Lorna Tinworth and Dr Maria Neofytou. There were also sessions on current developments in genetic sequencing technologies and data analysis with Dr Nadege Presneau, alongside hands-on practical workshops on gene editing techniques in the Genome Engineering Laboratory led by Dr Kalpana Surendranath 💫

As noted by our School International Co-leads Dr Adele McCormick and Dr Joan Liu and our Head of Global Mobility Eduardo Lees, the visit was an important step in the growing partnership between our university and the Institute For Study Abroad, highlighting the importance of international engagement in preparing students for careers in an increasingly globalised scientific community. Global mobility encourages cultural understanding, professional networking and sharing of knowledge and experience across borders 💛

Our University is now set to launch our Westminster Centre for Gene Editors of the Future, which will be the UK’s first gene editing centre connecting cutting-edge research with inclusive future-ready education ✨

🔗 Find out more in our news story: https://bit.ly/4gr8wpw

Congratulations to our Film students who have won multiple honours at the Kodak Student Commercial Awards, hosted at our University, for their creative 16mm commercial projects. The Awards recognise excellence in concept development, filmmaking craft and the ability to respond creatively to real industry briefs 🏆👏

The Kodak Student Commercial Awards are an annual competition sponsored by our School of Media and Communications, motion picture company Kodak and the National Association for Higher Education in the Moving Image 💫

Organised by our own Principal Lecturer for Film, Peter Hort, the ceremony was held last month at our Regent Street Cinema and saw 180 student film makers, film teachers and advertising professionals in attendance 💛

Students had to make a 30-second commercial using one ten-minute roll of 16mm film provided free-of-charge by Kodak. They were supplied with live briefs by the advertising agencies Libertine London Ltd and TBWA, covering campaigns for McVitie's Jaffa Cakes, The Hygiene Bank, a charity targeting hygiene poverty, The Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and the homeless charity Shelter from the Storm. The competition is judged by a panel of representatives from the advertising agencies and Kodak ✨

Our winners this year were Luigi Espindola, Writer and Creative Director of the commercial titled Man in a Suit, who received the Writing Craft award. The commercial was also placed third in the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust brief. Peggy Riga, Cinematographer for the commercial titled Nappies, won the Cinematography Craft award and the commercial secured second place in the Hygiene Bank brief 🙌

🔗 Read more: https://bit.ly/4fJah18

This Refugee Week, we are proud to introduce Sanctuary at Westminster, a new initiative dedicated to supporting and celebrating our refugee and displaced student community 👏

We are committed to creating an environment where every student feels a deep sense of belonging. We believe a University of Sanctuary is a place where everyone feels safe, welcome, and empowered to pursue their right to education.

Our Music and Media students recently gained hands-on experience with cutting-edge audio technology during a visit to HHB Communications, taking part in an exclusive session with the Sony 360 Virtual Mixed Environment system 🎧

Across a series of industry-led workshops, students have been working directly with professional audio tools, exploring mixing techniques, sound design and immersive recording formats. From experimental creative performance setups to advanced spatial audio concepts, the sessions are designed to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world practice.

Led by industry experts and supported by leading audio technology partners, SPARKX Lab, the our hands-on creative technology hub for studio production, is helping students build confidence, creativity and technical fluency in a fast-evolving sector 👏

🔗 Read more in our news story: https://www.westminster.ac.uk/news/westminster-sparkx-lab-students-prepare-for-careers-in-music-industry-with-hands-on-experience-with-cutting-edge-audio-technology

Congratulations to Radio and Television alumnus, Laurence Cawsey on winning a BAFTA TV Craft Award for Multi-Camera Directing, recognising his work on Sky Sports' coverage of Liverpool’s title winning victory against Tottenham 👏

Laurence is Sky Sports’ Head of Football Team Operations and has been at the organisation for over 20 years. Beginning as an Associate Producer he rose through the ranks and has been involved in numerous iconic sporting events.

🔗 Read more in our news story: https://www.westminster.ac.uk/news/westminster-alumnus-wins-bafta-at-television-craft-awards-2026