Philanthropy Impact Report
2025

A significant donation from the Reta Lila Weston Trust for Medical Research will foster the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to help prevent, diagnose and treat neurodegenerative diseases.

Building upon more than half a century of partnership between the Trust and UCL, the award establishes a world-leading AI-centred brain tissue resource known as the Reta Lila Weston programme for Biomarker Research And Innovation in Neurodegeneration (Reta Lila Weston BRAIN).

This platform will utilise AI techniques to analyse clinical, genetic, pathological and multi-omic information from 2,500 human brain and spinal cord tissue samples donated to the Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders (QSBB).

Supported by the input of colleagues across UCL, its task is to identify key molecules and pathways which predict disease onset, severity and progression; isolate biomarkers that will empower clinical trials; and highlight new disease mechanisms for the development of treatments. 

A central component of Reta Lila Weston BRAIN is open access: researchers in all parts of the world will be able to analyse the UCL dataset as well as input their own data and observe how it alters their predictions. The platform will have the ability to learn from these external inputs and further refine its predictive power.

The insights generated have the potential to catalyse step-changes in diagnosis, prevention and treatment of neurological conditions which – taken together – comprise the leading cause of death and disability globally.

“AI will revolutionise the way we study neurodegenerative conditions,” said Professor Tom Warner, Chair of Clinical Neurology and Director of the Reta Lila Weston Institute at UCL.

“With one of the world’s largest brain tissue collection and world-leading clinical and neuroscience experts, UCL is in a genuinely unparalleled position to harness this transformative technology.”

Further to funding the Reta Lila Weston BRAIN platform, the new gift also provides a continuation in support for the Reta Lila Weston Institute of Neurological Studies at UCL, which was created in 1968 via a bequest from the Trust.

A donation from Pears Foundation is enabling teachers to respond to online conspiracy theories and misinformation that are having a serious and damaging impact on young people.

Misinformation and conspiracy theories are now easily accessible to children via social media. From the well-publicised misogyny spread by the likes of influencer Andrew Tate, to misinformation about global events or even health and wellbeing, teachers lack the training and resources to respond when conspiracy theories are brought into the classroom.

In 2024, Pears Foundation, a longstanding funder of UCL and the UCL Institute of Education (IOE), established a Commission on Countering Online Conspiracy in Schools, which published its report and recommendations earlier this year. The Commission identified an urgent need for teacher training in this area.

To take the recommendations forward, Pears Foundation engaged the IOE to design and deliver continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers on this topic, led by IOE lecturer and former schoolteacher Jeremy Hayward, who gave evidence to the Commission and now sits on its Advisory Board.

An initial year-long project commenced in May 2025. Piloting CPD delivery for teachers in 19 Star Academies schools across the country, the sessions are focusing on equipping teachers with strategies to respond to students who raise issues around conspiracy theories.

Through discussions and case studies, participants learn to identify when to correct misinformation, when to stop a discussion and initiate a one-to-one chat, and when misinformation may be codified hate speech.

“The way young people gain information about the world has completely changed,” said Jeremy. “As a society, we’ve allowed unregulated people to whisper anything into the ears of young people. This has to change.

“It can be difficult for governments to respond at state-level – their agendas are already full and complex. Pears Foundation has recognised this problem and is doing amazing work here. The Foundation has enabled us to start a really important project that can make an immediate impact, that will hopefully have far-reaching implications for how young people interpret the world.”

Following the successful pilot, the Foundation and the IOE are working to roll out this CPD resource to more schools nationwide.

A gift from the Japanese biotechnology company Amano Enzyme is giving Japanese students from under-represented backgrounds the opportunity of a UCL postgraduate education.

Building on more than 160 years of rich relations between UCL and Japan, Amano Enzyme’s donation will enable UCL to provide scholarships over the next five years. It will fund the newly launched UCL Musubi Global Master’s Scholarship, which will give Japanese students the opportunity to study a one-year Master’s programme at UCL from 2026-27 onwards.

Part of the Musubi Initiative between the UK and Japan, the award will offer vital opportunities to applicants facing challenging financial circumstances. By providing support for living costs and/or tuition fees for the duration of a postgraduate degree programme, the UCL Musubi Global Master’s Scholarship takes steps to address historic barriers to a world-class education.

Julia Longbottom CMG, UK Ambassador to Japan, said: “Investing in educational opportunities for the next generation will help us to inspire and foster the next generation of leaders in each of our countries.

“The UK-Japan partnership is flourishing, and giving young people from all backgrounds a chance to be a part of this is vital. The UCL Musubi Global Master’s Scholarship is a key step, and I thank Amano Enzyme for investing in the futures of talented Japanese students who wish to study in the UK.”

This scholarship forms part of UCL's Global Scholarships programme, launched in 2022 to support international students from lower income backgrounds. The goal is to promote and widen access to study at UCL, so that personal circumstances have no impact on the ability of hard-working students to learn.

Launched in 2024, the Musubi Initiative is a UK-Japan programme aimed at promoting connections between the UK and Japan, creating opportunities, innovation and economic growth.

A gift from the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction has empowered a group of visiting Fellows to elevate their approach to sustainable construction, helping to address the climate crisis.

The award has established the Holcim Foundation Fellowship for Europe in London, hosted at UCL Civil, Environmental, and Geomatic Engineering (CEGE), supported by industry partners AL_A, BDP, Buro Happold, Eckersley O’Callaghan and Expedition Engineering.

With the buildings and construction sector responsible for 37% of global emissions (UN Environment Programme), industry stakeholders are taking decisive action to contribute to a worldwide reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and reach net zero targets. 

The Holcim Foundation Fellowship was created with this in mind. Interrogating the theme of ‘innovating tomorrow’s resilience’, 16 Fellows – a group of multidisciplinary Master’s students and early-career professionals from across Europe – participated in an intensive two-week course at UCL in July 2025.

Working with instructors and industry practitioners, they observed, analysed, questioned, proposed and designed interdisciplinary strategies for transforming the mechanisms that influence the social, environmental and economic conditions of European cities. Aiming to bridge the gap between academia, professionals and society, the Fellowship focused on empowering the students to become catalysts for industry transformation.

Throughout the programme, the Fellows tested the limits of the Mayor of London’s spatial development policy – The London Plan, and created a London manifesto, titled What If? – which was presented directly to the Greater London Authority. Their core finding was that technical competence is necessary but insufficient; embedding sustainability and resilience requires activating the key levers of city planning that aims at equity, inclusivity and economic viability.

“The value of the Fellows’ manifesto was in shifting how we see the city: as something shaped by policy, yes – but also by intention, omission, and the cumulative effect of everyday decisions,” said Saba Carmel Meidany from the Holcim Foundation. “I congratulate the Fellows on producing a sharp, grounded and ambitious Manifesto for London!”

Matthew Heywood, Associate Professor at UCL, said: “From architecture and planning to sustainability, policy, engineering, and community engagement, they moved effortlessly across boundaries, drawing links and insights that enriched every discussion. If these Fellows represent the next generation of leaders, then the future of our profession, our cities, and the wider built environment is in capable hands.”

All Fellows take their knowledge and innovative ideas with them into their future careers, with three from this Fellowship selected to continue their journey on the Holcim Foundation Emerging ChangeMakers programme, which aims to strengthen a purpose-driven global network.

For more than half a century, collecting has been a profound and defining thread in John Janssen’s life. Now, he is working with UCL to ensure it is preserved for the next generation.

What began in 1963 when he arrived in England as a young research student and discovered the world of Victorian illustrated books has since soon grown into a lifelong passion for the artistry of small press publications, contemporary book-making and visual poetry. 

Over the decades, John has assembled an extraordinary body of material: more than 6,000 artist books; small press pamphlets; rare conceptual and visual poetry books; Victorian illustrated books of the ‘Golden Sixties’; and approximately 250 multi-format artworks by artists associated with Coracle Press and Gallery (1975 - present). Together, these items form a rich, interconnected record of independent, non-commercial publishing from the 19th century to today. 

This year, John made the decision to bequeath his lifetime collection to UCL and pledged an additional percentage of his estate to ensure the preservation of these important works. He knew he wanted the art and the books from his collection to remain together.  

After exploring different options, he found that UCL was the only institution willing to and capable of caring for the full breadth of the material: 

“UCL guaranteed that my collection would not be dispersed, and that it would be preserved and be displayed for the benefit of future generations,” said John. “UCL already holds one of the largest and most significant collections of independent, experimental literary, visual and counter-cultural publications. So, it is a perfect marriage.” 

John’s collection, to be titled 'The Coracle and Friends Collection', represents “an extremely significant addition to one of UCL’s flagship collecting areas: filling crucial gaps in our holdings, strengthening our profile for research in this specialist area and enhancing our reputation as a global research hub for 20^th century literature,” according to Elizabeth Lawes (UCL Special Collections).  

“I truly believe that this gift will bolster our opportunities to attract research funding, enhance the student learning experience and inspire future writers, artists and scholars,” she added. “We are therefore delighted to be able to look after John’s collection and ensure it is not only preserved but also actively utilised in teaching, both within UCL and beyond, for many years to come.”