It is with great sadness that the University has learnt of the death, on 20 July at the age of 93, of Sir Christopher Ondaatje OC, CBE: a loyal friend to Buckingham over three decades and one of its most generous benefactors.

Over his long life, Christopher Ondaatje achieved distinction in multiple spheres: as an Olympic athlete, successful businessman, prolific author, explorer of the sources of the Nile, and as a philanthropist whose support for the arts and education has had a major impact in his adoptive homeland, Canada, as well as in the United Kingdom.

Christopher Ondaatje was born in 1933 into an affluent Anglo-Dutch military family in what was then the British colony of Ceylon (later Sri Lanka). He was sent to England for his schooling and was educated at Blundell’s School in Devon to the age of 16, when the divorce of his parents, and the financial crisis which this entailed, forced him to leave school prematurely and to make his own way in the world. With the possibility of a university education foreclosed to him, he turned to commerce. After emigrating to Canada in his early twenties, Sir Christopher made fortunes in stock-broking and later in publishing, becoming by the early 1990s one of the country’s most prominent and successful businessmen – while also finding the time to compete in the 1964 Winter Olympics as a member of the Canadian four-man bobsleigh team and to maintain a keen interest in cricket.

His desire to promote closer educational links between Canada and the UK lay behind Sir Christopher’s first involvement with Buckingham, in 2003, when he established a series of scholarships to enable student exchanges between the University and Massey College in Toronto. The University of Buckingham’s award to him of an honorary Doctorate of Letters that same year was a recognition of his philanthropic contributions both to us and to the cultural life of Britain more generally.

Further benefactions followed, most notably in 2015, when Sir Christopher’s longstanding interest in history, literature and the arts moved him to become involved with the University’s recently established Humanities Research Institute, to which he offered both advice and financial support. A seven-figure donation that year provided the Institute with a permanent home on campus in the newly created Ondaatje Research Centre and also enabled the University to acquire the town’s 15th-century vicarage, which was renamed in his honour as Ondaatje Hall.

His benefaction has been the catalyst for a major transformation of Humanities research within the University, with graduate student numbers growing from a few dozen at the time of his gift to approaching 300 in 2026.

The University mourns one of its firmest and most generous friends and extends its deepest sympathy to his family in their loss.

Philip Obiorah, Learning Development Coach in Computing at The University of Buckingham, attended Google I/O Connect Berlin 2026, an invitation-only event that brought together developers from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa to explore the latest advances in Artificial Intelligence, Android, Web and Cloud technologies.

Throughout the event, Philip participated in technical sessions and hands-on workshops delivered by Google engineers and product teams, covering topics including Gemini, Gemma, Agent Development Kit (ADK), Model Context Protocol (MCP), BigQuery, Google Maps, and the latest tools for building production-ready AI applications.

Among the sessions attended were:

• Google DeepMind AI Stack for Developers
• The ABCs of Agent Building: ADK and Beyond
• Gemma: Open Models in the Agentic Era
• Build a Location Intelligence ADK Agent with MCP Servers for BigQuery and Google Maps
• Build Agents with the Gemini API

The event focused on how developers can move beyond traditional prompt-based AI towards building intelligent systems capable of reasoning, tool use, multimodal interaction and enterprise integration.

In addition to the technical programme, Philip met with Google Developer Relations staff, Google Developer Experts and developers from across the region, strengthening professional networks and sharing experiences in applied AI, cloud computing and developer education.

Reflecting on the event, Philip said:

“Google I/O Connect Berlin provided valuable insight into the future of AI application development. It reinforced that modern AI is no longer just about interacting with language models, but about building intelligent systems that combine reasoning, tools, enterprise data and cloud services. The knowledge gained will directly support my teaching, student employability initiatives and curriculum development within the School of Computing.”

Since returning from the event, Philip has begun publishing a technical article series on Medium, sharing practical insights from each session to make the content accessible to students, developers and the wider AI community.

Attendance at Google I/O Connect Berlin aligns with The University of Buckingham’s commitment to strengthening industry engagement and ensuring that students benefit from exposure to emerging technologies and current professional practice in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science.

Third-year medical students from The University of Buckingham took part in a large-scale Major Incident Simulation on Thursday 16 July, putting their clinical skills to the test in one of the University’s most realistic training exercises.

The annual event took place at the Ford Meadow playing fields on The University of Buckingham campus and was designed to give students the opportunity to apply their developing skills in leadership, triage, communication, acute medical management and decision-making in a challenging and fast-moving environment.

This year’s scenario centred around a major road traffic collision involving four cars and a bus on a busy dual carriageway. The resulting traffic jam left a coach carrying the medical students stranded nearby. As enthusiastic future doctors, they decided to help, only to discover a complex and chaotic scene with casualties suffering a wide range of simulated injuries, including traumatic lower limb amputations, pregnant patients in active labour and distressed relatives.

The high-fidelity simulation is the medical school’s award-winning flagship practical training event, bringing together a wide range of organisations to recreate the pressures of a real major incident.

Alongside the medical students, crews from Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, Thames Valley Police (and Paramedics from South-Central Ambulance Service) took part, helping to enhance the realism of the exercise while providing an opportunity for the emergency services to practice their own response procedures.

Dr Sunjay Paul, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, said:

“This simulation gives our students the opportunity to experience the challenges of a major incident in a safe but highly realistic environment.

It allows them to put into practice the clinical and communication skills they have developed throughout their studies while learning how to work effectively under pressure, manage uncertainty and collaborate with emergency services. It is an invaluable part of their medical education.”

Buckingham Medical School

Buckingham’s Medical School is committed to providing students with an immersive and supportive learning environment.

Our condensed 4.5-year MB ChB programme is based on a well-established curriculum, with patient contact introduced from the very first term, giving our students extensive opportunities to develop the knowledge, confidence and practical experience needed for a career in medicine.

We’re delighted to share that The University of Buckingham has achieved numerous top ten rankings in the 2026 National Student Survey (NSS). The University also raised its overall positivity score by 1.9% compared to 2025.

Interim Vice-Chancellor, David Cole commented:

“These results provide valuable insight into how our undergraduate students experience life at The University of Buckingham, and I am pleased to see strong year-on-year progress in our positivity scores on some dimensions.

It is particularly encouraging to see several subject areas achieve top 10 rankings, reflecting the dedication and hard work of both our academic, professional services and corporate services teams.

I’m also pleased to see our longstanding commitment to excellent teaching and student support recognised so positively by our students. While this success is something to celebrate, we remain focused on building on this momentum, improving the areas where we have underperformed and identifying new opportunities to further enhance the student experience at Buckingham.”

Top 10 subject rankings

Business

• Joint 1st – Academic support
• Joint 1st – Freedom of expression
• Joint 7th – Teaching on my course

Law

• Joint 6th – Mental wellbeing services

Psychology

• Joint 1st – Mental wellbeing services
• Joint 3rd – Academic support

Education

• • Joint 1st – Academic support
  • Joint 1st – Freedom of expression
  • Joint 3rd – Teaching on my course
  • 7th – Learning opportunities

• Joint 7th – Student voice
• 10th – Assessment and feedback

Want to find out more about Buckingham?

Join us at an Open Day and experience The University of Buckingham for yourself. Discover our beautiful riverside campus, meet our highly regarded academic community and chat to current students to learn what truly sets Buckingham apart from the crowd.

The University of Buckingham has today (Wednesday 1 July) announced that Professor Lynette Ryals OBE will become its next Vice-Chancellor when she joins the University in the autumn.

Professor Ryals joins The University of Buckingham from Cranfield University, where she currently serves as Deputy-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Business and Management and member of the University Executive. A highly respected leader in higher education, she brings extensive experience in academic leadership and institutional development.

Throughout her distinguished career, Professor Ryals has demonstrated a strong commitment to educational excellence, student success, and the development of new approaches to higher education. Across various roles at Cranfield University and MK:U, she established and led a distinctive undergraduate education offering in Milton Keynes, helping to create new pathways for students and strengthen connections between higher education and employers to support regional growth.

Professor Ryals will lead the University’s future strategy in its historic 50th anniversary year. She will build on Buckingham’s reputation for academic quality, personalised teaching and student-centred education by working closely with staff, students, alumni, and partners to strengthen the University’s impact, expand opportunities for students and reinforce Buckingham’s position as one of the UK’s most distinctive universities.

Her appointment marks another significant milestone for the institution, as she becomes Buckingham’s first female Vice-Chancellor.

Speaking on her appointment, Professor Ryals said:

“It is a great honour to be invited to lead such a unique and distinctive institution. I am excited about the opportunities for The University of Buckingham and am delighted to become part of it.

The University’s location in a vibrant town close to the centre of the Oxford to Cambridge growth corridor means that it can play a pivotal role in supporting growth and skills across the region. The staff, the students and the campus environment at The University of Buckingham are truly impressive.

Together, we will build on the University’s proud heritage of education innovation and excellent student experience, augmenting those strengths with the possibilities offered by new technologies in learning and teaching to forge an international reputation for an exceptional higher education experience and outstanding student outcomes.”

Commenting on the appointment, Chair of Council, Mark St John Qualter said:

“I am delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Lynette Ryals OBE as Vice-Chancellor of The University of Buckingham.

Professor Ryals brings a wealth of experience from across higher education, combining outstanding academic credentials with a proven track record of leadership, innovation and partnership. Her vision, energy and commitment to excellence make her exceptionally well placed to lead the University into its next phase of development.

As we mark fifty years, the questions facing higher education are sharper than they have ever been: how it is funded, how its value is demonstrated, and how it keeps pace with a world being reshaped by AI. Buckingham has never relied on doing things the way everyone else does, and that distinctiveness, paired with a genuine focus on students, is what has carried us this far. Professor Ryals understands this inheritance deeply and is genuinely committed to it: she sees our heritage not as something to preserve under glass, but as the foundation to build on. In her we have the right leader to take us into the next chapter, and I am confident it will be one of our strongest yet.

I want to pay particular tribute to David Cole, whose leadership as Interim Vice-Chancellor has steadied and strengthened the University at a pivotal moment. He has steered us with calm, care and real purpose, and Professor Ryals inherits an institution in better shape for it. My thanks also go to everyone involved in the recruitment process.

I know the entire Buckingham community will join me in warmly welcoming Professor Ryals to the University.”

Professor Ryals is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of both the Society of Investment Professionals and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport. Over a 29-year academic career at Cranfield University, Lynette has held a series of senior roles, including as Pro-Vice-Chancellor and CEO for MK:U, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education, and as Director of Cranfield School of Management between 2017-2019. Before that, Lynette was the UK’s first Professor of Sales at Cranfield.

For media enquiries, please contact pressoffice@buckingham.ac.uk.

The Winter 2026 Computing Seminar Series brought together researchers, students, academics, and industry experts to showcase innovative research in Computing at University of Buckingham and explore emerging developments across the computing discipline.

Presentation by Isuri Gatamanna Arachchige, a PhD student

The series began with a presentation by Isuri Gatamanna Arachchige, a PhD student, titled “Early Alzheimer’s Disease Identification via Multi-Omics Integration and Functional Biomarker Discovery”. Isuri’s work focuses on innovative approaches for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease through multi-omics data integration and functional biomarker discovery. The project aims to improve early diagnosis by integrating genomic and transcriptomic data using interpretable deep learning models, thereby reducing reliance on black-box predictions and improving transparency in clinical applications.

Presentation by Rashmi Perera, a PhD student

Rashmi Perera, also a PhD student, delivered a thought-provoking talk based on her ongoing research titled “Artificial Intelligence in Viva Voce Examinations”. Her work explores the potential role of AI in supporting viva voce examinations in higher education, with a particular focus on the PhD level. The study investigates whether large language models can generate viva questions comparable in quality to those produced by human examiners, as well as assess student responses effectively.

Presentation by Madara Dassanayake, a PhD student

Madara Dassanayake, a final-year PhD student, delivered a captivating presentation titled “A Digital Twin Framework for Short-Term Solar Energy Forecasting Using Game Engines”. She proposed using digital twins of photovoltaic systems within Unreal Engine 5 to forecast energy output. Rather than relying on machine-learning models trained on historical energy data, her framework adopts physics-based modelling alongside live weather data to forecast solar power generation in real time.

Presentation by Dr Tom Longshaw, Director of Research & Development at Zizo

Dr Tom Longshaw, Director of Research & Development at Zizo, delivered a talk titled “Classification in the Presence of Sparse Matches”. He explained that classification seeks to identify rules that can predict characteristics of data based on available information. However, when datasets are highly imbalanced, models may appear to perform well by correctly identifying the majority class while failing to detect smaller but more important classes. This can result in misleadingly high accuracy, sometimes as high as 99%, while still limiting the discovery of meaningful classification rules. He also discussed how subjective human data, weak labels, aggregation issues, and black-box models can further complicate classification tasks. His presentation highlighted the use of genetic algorithms, which are often more transparent, repeatable, and easier to justify than neural networks, which can behave as black boxes.

The final seminar of Winter 2026 was delivered by Ethan Caldeira, another PhD student, titled “Classification of Elevated Trait Anxiety from MRI Data”. His research focuses on using deep learning and neuroimaging to identify functional and structural brain patterns associated with mental health conditions, particularly anxiety. He outlined two research pipelines based on MRI and fMRI data, covering preprocessing, region-of-interest selection, model development, classification, and experimental evaluation.

The Winter 2026 Computing Seminar Series showcased the breadth and quality of research within the School of Computing at the University of Buckingham. By bringing together PhD researchers and industry professionals, the series fostered knowledge exchange, constructive feedback, and valuable discussion, helping to strengthen ongoing research and encourage future collaboration.

We’re delighted to announce that The University of Buckingham has been awarded multiple top ten positions in the Complete University Guide 2027 rankings, showcasing strong outcomes and student satisfaction.

The Complete University Guide is an independent platform that ranks universities across the UK annually, based on various factors such as subject areas, graduate prospects and continuation.

For overall Graduate Prospects, we have achieved the following:

• 10th for Graduate Prospects – Outcomes
• 2nd for Graduate Prospects – On Track

In Computing we have secured the following rankings:

• Joint 1st in Graduate Prospects – Outcomes
• Joint 5th in Graduate Prospects – On Track

In Business and Management we have achieved:

• 9th for Student Satisfaction
• Joint 9th for Graduate Prospects – On Track

David Cole, Interim Vice-Chancellor commented:

“These impressive rankings reflect our continuous commitment to both exceptional graduate outcomes and enhancing the student experience at Buckingham. We take great pride in this achievement while remaining focused on identifying new opportunities to improve.”

Want to find out more about Buckingham?

Join us at an Open Day and experience The University of Buckingham for yourself. Discover our beautiful riverside campus, meet our highly regarded academic community and chat to current students to learn what truly sets Buckingham apart from the crowd.

Bridging the gap between school-based study and real-world legal practice

Students attended from Oakgrove School, St Paul’s Catholic School, Hazeley Academy, and Shenley Brook End School, reflecting strong regional interest in legal education and careers. The event aimed to bridge the gap between school-based study and real-world legal practice by offering both academic and professional perspectives.

Immersive academic experience

The event began with an in-depth law taster tutorial delivered by Dr Gar Yein Ng, focusing on the British Constitution. The session introduced students to core legal principles, including the structure of the UK constitution, the role of public bodies, and how administrative decisions can be challenged.

Students were encouraged to think critically about the relationship between government power and individual rights, gaining firsthand experience of the analytical approach required in legal studies. The interactive nature of the session, delivered in the formal setting of the Moot Court, helped bring legal theory to life.

Insights from legal professionals

Following the academic session, students were divided into three breakout groups, each led by experienced legal professionals who provided practical insights into different areas of the legal sector.

• Dentons, a global law firm, delivered a session on “Life as a Paralegal”: Eden Willis and Megan Northover’s discussion offered students a realistic understanding of entry-level roles in law, day-to-day responsibilities, and career progression opportunities within large firms.
• David Rushmere, Employment Partner at Machins Solicitors LLP, focused on transferable skills for aspiring lawyers. His session highlighted the importance of communication, problem-solving, adaptability, and commercial awareness—skills that are critical not only in law but across professional environments.
• Thomas Boden, Head of Legal Services at Milton Keynes City Council, along with Tiffany Choong, Trainee Solicitor, provided an overview of legal work within a busy local authority. The talk shed light on the breadth of legal issues handled in the public sector, from governance and planning to employment and regulatory matters, offering students a broader perspective on legal careers beyond private practice.

LawFest Plus guest speakers Thomas Boden, MK City Council (left) and David Rushmere, Machins (right)

Specialist perspective on private client law

The event also featured a session from the team at Osborne Morris and Morgan: Emma Shotton, Senior Solicitor, introduced students to private client work. The presentation covered key aspects of medical negligence and personal injury litigation. OMM colleagues Katherine Bull and Krishnan Fatania discussed the more specialised field of the Court of Protection, which deals with decisions for individuals who lack mental capacity.

This session highlighted the human dimension of legal practice, demonstrating how lawyers support clients through sensitive and often complex personal circumstances.

Strengthening pathways into law

LawFest+ exemplifies Buckingham Law School’s commitment to widening participation and supporting aspiring lawyers at an early stage in their academic journey. By combining rigorous academic teaching with practical insights from experienced professionals, the event offered students a well-rounded introduction to legal qualification pathways.

Speaking about the event, Julie O’Shea, Lecturer in Clinical Legal Practice emphasised the importance of collaboration between schools and higher education institutions in creating meaningful opportunities for students. Jon Adamson highlighted the partnership with local sixth forms ensured that students could explore legal study in an accessible and engaging way.

The success of LawFest+ highlights the growing appetite among young people for careers in law and related fields. Designed as a smaller, more in-depth experience, LawFest+ provides keen A-level students with the opportunity to explore legal study and practice in greater detail, engaging directly with both academic teaching and legal professionals in an interactive setting. Events such as this not only demystify legal education but also equip students with the knowledge and confidence to take the next steps in their academic and professional journeys.

Buckingham Law School continues to build on this success with its flagship annual outreach event, LawFest, taking place on 16 September 2026. In contrast LawFest is a large-scale event welcoming over 250 Year 11 and Year 12 students to the Vinson Building. It offers a broad and engaging introduction to studying law, while fostering strong links between schools, higher education, and legal professionals—helping to inspire the next generation of lawyers.

The official opening of the Citizens Advice Bureau in Milton Keynes took place on Thursday 7 May, marked by a special visit from HRH The Princess Royal. The occasion provided an opportunity to celebrate a longstanding and impactful collaboration between The University of Buckingham Law School and Citizens Advice Milton Keynes, showcasing the vital role that clinical legal education plays in both student development and community support.

The event organised by Ben Thomas, Director of Citizens Advice Milton Keynes in conjunction with the office of His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, The Countess Howe, DStJ, brought together key members of the Law School and clinic community, including Dean of Law, Professor Adolfo Paolini, and Julie O’Shea, Module Lead for the Citizens Advice Clinic. They were joined by clinic alumni Kamva Gcaza, Student Union President and Isabel Ritchie, LLM SQE 1 student, whose experiences reflect the success and reach of the programme.

HRH The Princess Royal showed a particular interest in how the clinic is embedded within the Law School’s curriculum. The Citizens Advice Clinic forms part of a Level 6 optional module for both full-time and part-time LLB students, contributing 30 academic credits towards their degree. This integration of practical experience with academic study exemplifies the Law School’s commitment to preparing students for professional legal practice.

Professor Paolini outlined the structure of the programme, explaining that the Law School supports the training of up to 20 student volunteers each year to act as assessors at the Milton Keynes Bureau. Students are supervised in clinic by Training & Volunteering Manager, Zach Eaton with Julie O’Shea, leading lectures and academic assessments, ensuring a robust framework of support and quality assurance.

Speaking at the event, Julie O’Shea highlighted the wide range of practical skills students develop through the clinic. These include client interviewing, case management, and the essential discipline of maintaining accurate and professional case notes. Such experiences are designed to mirror real-world legal practice, equipping students with both the technical competencies and professional values expected in the sector.

Clinic alumna Isabel Ritchie shared her personal journey, explaining how her experience at the clinic inspired her to pursue the LLM with SQE1 Preparation Programme. She emphasised that the clinic not only strengthened her legal skills but also instilled a deep appreciation for ethical practice and the responsibilities of regulated legal work, particularly in relation to conflicts of interest and client confidentiality.

Clinic alumnus and Student Union President Kamva Gcaza reflected on his experience in the Citizens Advice Clinic, noting its significant contribution to his professional development from being a law student to his current role in student leadership. He highlighted the programme as a valuable example of the partnership between the University and Citizens Advice Milton Keynes, providing students with essential real-world legal experience and practical insight into client-facing work.

HRH The Princess Royal was also keen to understand the broader impact of the clinic. It was noted that, over the past four years, the programme has attracted more than 40 student participants and supported up to 6,000 client calls. These figures underscore the dual benefit of the initiative—enhancing student employability while making a meaningful contribution to the local and wider Citizens Advice community.

The event also provided a valuable opportunity for networking, bringing together Citizens Advice Milton Keynes Trustees, community partners, and distinguished guests, including Buckingham LLB alumna Nikki Ross, the newly appointed High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire. The occasion fostered meaningful discussions around strengthening community engagement and expanding collaborative initiatives.

The opening of the Bureau stands as a testament to the success of collaborative partnerships between academia and community organisations. By combining academic rigour with hands-on experience, the Citizens Advice Clinic continues to empower students, support clients, and promote access to justice.

As the event concluded, there was a shared sense of pride in what has been achieved and optimism for the continued growth of the clinic. The visit by HRH The Princess Royal not only recognised this important work but also highlighted the value of practice-based legal education in shaping the next generation of legal professionals.