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Welcome to new students from Head of School Professor Briony Birdi

A very warm welcome to the Information School, the leading school of its kind in the UK, and your new academic home! We are delighted that you have chosen to join us here in Sheffield. As part of our mission to provide world-quality university education in information, we aim to inspire and help our students to pursue their highest ambitions for their academic and professional careers.

This is an exciting new start for you, and I hope that you settle quickly into student life here on campus, and in the city of Sheffield. Your time here will pass so quickly, and you will be challenged in many ways, but we hope it will also be rewarding and extremely enjoyable. Your Student Handbook is full of useful information about the opportunities available to you during your time here, and the support you will find to help you to have the best possible experience. 


This is an exciting time to join the school. In 2023 we were ranked Number One in the World for Library and Information Management for the third year running in the QS World Rankings By Subject. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework 2021, a national assessment of research in UK universities, 91% of our research was rated world-leading or internationally excellent and the impact of our research was rated 7th nationally. 


These rankings reflect our outstanding reputation established over six decades, our excellent reputation among employers, the high quality of our research publications, the large number of citations our papers achieve, and the achievements of our students and graduates. 


We are recognised nationally and internationally for our world-class research, our excellence in teaching, and the achievements of our graduates who go on to a whole range of positions across the information and data professions.


2023 is our first year in our new home - The Wave, which opened in April, and provides an exciting learning environment for students through its new collaborative teaching and social spaces.  This year we are also welcoming our first BSc Data Science students, who will join us to learn the data, information and analytical skills to become a critical data professional and to make a positive impact on society. 


I wish you a successful time in Sheffield, and I look forward to meeting many of you during your time here.


Professor Briony Birdi 

Professor of Library and Information Science & Head of School


September 2023
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