Liverpool John Moores University

200 years of Liverpool John Moores University history!

From industrial revolution to the digital age:

We can trace our roots back to the Industrial Revolution. In 1992, we became one of the UK’s new universities, taking our name from one of Liverpool’s great entrepreneurs and philanthropists, Sir John Moores. Our current incarnation as a modern civic university demonstrates that we haven’t lost the pioneering zeal of our founding fathers and like them, we still believe that ‘knowledge is power’.

The making of a modern university:

The most remarkable feature of our history is the coming together of a wide collection of institutions and their associated academic subjects. Today, our strategic plan outlines our ambitious plans for the future.

Sir John Moores (1896-1993):

The University is named in honour of Sir John Moores, a true visionary and shrewd successful businessman, who founded in 1923, and headed until 1982, what was then the UK’s largest and most profitable privately owned company, Littlewoods, comprising retailing, mail order and the football pools.

Based in Liverpool, the impact of the family business was immense, and in 1987 the Polytechnic recognised Sir John’s outstanding contribution to the region’s business and community life by making him its first Honorary Fellow.

His philanthropic and cultural legacy is reflected in the biennial John Moores Painting Prize, established in 1957 to recognise the best contemporary painting in the UK. The University now collaborates with the College of Fine Arts in Shanghai University on the biennial John Moores Painting Prize (China) competition, which allows Chinese artists to complete a month-long residency at our Liverpool School of Art and Design.

Sir John’s eldest son, John Moores Jr, served as the University’s second Chancellor from 1994 to 1999, succeeding Henry Cotton. His eldest daughter, Lady Grantchester, was admitted as an Honorary Fellow of the University in 2015.

Our vision and values:

Liverpool John Moores University is a distinctive, unique institution, rooted in the Liverpool City Region but with a global presence.

Our students and staff, past, present, and future, are the beating heart of our city and can be found in every corner of every industry and community. We couldn’t exist anywhere else and have shaped this place we belong to.

Working with the people of our city to improve lives and support communities is at the heart of why we were founded and why we exist today.

Growing and supporting our community is a commitment to work in partnership on an inclusive and positive future for all of those around us.

The world is changing at incredible speed, and we believe our mission is to develop exciting, brave, resilient people and embrace effective, impactful change.

Our values:

Our approach to everything we do, guiding our attitudes and behaviours, is defined by our four values.

• We are student focused - Caring for our students to give them a transformational university experience
• We care about our community - Making a difference to people's lives
• We are courageous - Speaking out boldly and acting got change
• We are inclusive - Embracing and respecting diversity

Our mission:

• To serve our people and communities, at home and further afield
• To enrich the lives of those we work with
• To act as an anchor institution in the City of Liverpool

We at LJMU believe in leading by example and aim to prioritise our actions to align with the The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We aim to work closely with our partners to make a positive difference at a local, national, and global level.

Admission requirements vary from country to country. Kindly contact our admissions counsellor for more information!