The University of Bath this week marked the 50th anniversary of it receiving its Royal Charter with a series of celebrations in the city and on campus.
The celebrations began in Bath Abbey where staff, students, alumni and invited guests enjoyed a range of performances, music and dance. 
The festivities then made their way onto campus with a Party on the Parade featuring entertainment for staff and students including band performances, dancing and a zip wire.
The university’s Chancellor, The Earl of Wessex, attended both the Abbey and campus events and also cut a 50th birthday cake to mark the celebrations.
The festivities ended at The Rec when the university’s men’s 1st XV rugby team hope to continue their unbeaten run when they taketook on Leeds Beckett in the new BUCS Super Rugby league. The events are part of a year-long programme of anniversary celebrations.
Exactly 50 years ago the university was granted university status by Royal Charter, signed by Her Majesty the Queen. Its first Chancellor, Baron Hinton, was installed shortly after during a ceremony in the Assembly Rooms in which a ceremonial mace was presented to the university as a gift from the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.
Since then the university has developed an excellent international reputation for conducting world-class research and providing students with exceptional learning and teaching.
Students and staff have also played an integral part in the life of the city. As Bath’s second largest employer, the university directly employs more than 3,100 people while its students annually spend more than 10,000 hours volunteering with local charities and organisations.
Last year, the university’s students raised more than £65,000 for local, national and international charities, adding to a total of almost £400,000 in the past five years.
The university is also highly rated by its students, with 90% giving it an overall satisfaction rating, according to the National Student Survey (NSS).
The latest QS ‘Top 50 Under 50’ rankings placed it number one in Europe while it was also first in the UK for student satisfaction in the Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2015.
The university is also one of the best in the UK for graduate prospects having been ranked best in the South West and seventh nationally by the 2017 Times Good University Guide.
Meanwhile nearly 90% of its research was defined as ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ in the last Research Excellence Framework (REF). The quality of its research has twice won The Queen’s Anniversary Prize.
The university’s vice-chancellor and president, Prof Dame Glynis Breakwell, said: “I am delighted that the university is celebrating this momentous milestone as a vibrant and successful community.
“Since receiving our Royal Charter, Bath has maintained its position as a university conducting high-quality research and providing excellent teaching and we look forward to continuing this for the next 50 years.
“The university’s success is intrinsically linked to the city of Bath. The beautiful location in a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with Bath’s excellent infrastructure enable us to attract the best and brightest minds and, in turn, we make a significant contribution to the local economy and community.
“Our 50th anniversary programme of events provides us with an opportunity to celebrate our considerable achievements but also say ‘thank you’ to our friends and neighbours in and around the city.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our staff and students whose dedication is an inspiration. It is this real sense of community and collaboration at our university, combined with our natural curiosity and ambition which has led to our success so far and will play a significant role as we look to the future.”
