Published: 08 May 2019 | Last Updated: 10 Aug 2023 10:41:14

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal today toured and re-opened the Royal Veterinary College’s Hobday Building, which has undergone an extensive transformation over the last several months.

The Princess Royal, who is the Chancellor of the University of London, was able to witness how the modern renovation has enhanced the teaching, learning and working environment, as well as the social facilities, for staff and students.

The Hobday Building is located on the RVC’s Camden campus and was first constructed in the 1930s on the site of the original veterinary college that was founded in 1791. Since then, veterinary learning and teaching developments have advanced enormously and, in recognition of this, the RVC has invested significantly in modernising its Camden estate. The renovation of the Hobday Building marks the most extensive redevelopment the campus has seen in over 80 years.

Students can now enjoy new teaching rooms, extra social learning spaces, an extended dining facility, larger common rooms and a much improved social setting. Staff, meanwhile, now have access to updated research laboratories and bright, new open-plan offices.

During her tour, the Princess Royal met staff, students and key stakeholders responsible for delivering the project, to hear first-hand about the transformative effect of the new facilities.

Her Royal Highness also learned about the next phase of the RVC’s ambitious capital project, which will see it invest £45 million into upgrading and expanding its Hawkshead campus near Potters Bar.

Professor Stuart Reid, Principal of the RVC, said:  “I am delighted to welcome our Chancellor, The Princess Royal, to our refurbished campus. With the investments we have made at Camden, we demonstrate the RVC’s commitment to science in the Knowledge Quarter, as well as retaining our position as one of the world’s leading centres for veterinary education.”

Notes to Editors

For more information please contact:

• Alex Cassells (alexander.cassells@plmr.co.uk)  or Ploy Radford (ploy.radford@plmr.co.uk)
• Press Line: 0800 368 9520

About the RVC

• The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is the UK's largest and longest established independent veterinary school and is a constituent College of the University of London.
• The RVC is ranked as the world’s number one veterinary school in the QS World University Rankings 2019.
• The RVC offers undergraduate, postgraduate and CPD programmes in veterinary medicine, veterinary nursing and biological sciences.
• It is currently the only veterinary school in the world to hold full accreditation from AVMA, EAEVE, RCVS and AVBC.
• In 2017, the RVC received a Gold award from the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) – the highest rating a university can receive.
• A research-led institution, the RVC maintained its position as the top veterinary institution in the Research Excellence Framework (2014), with 79% of its submission being rated as world-class or internationally excellent.
• The RVC also provides animal owners and the veterinary profession with access to expert veterinary care and advice through its teaching hospitals: the Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital, in central London, and the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals (Europe's largest small animal referral centre) and Equine Referral Hospital, both located at the Hertfordshire campus.