Hat trick of nominations for Times Higher Awards
02 Sep 2022
We're shortlisted for most innovative teacher, widening participation and communications prizes
Our University has achieved three nominations for the prestigious Times Higher Education Awards, with the winners due to be announced in November.
Dr Adam Danquah has been shortlisted in the Most Innovative Teacher of the Year category. Dr Adam Danquah developed the Higher Education Anti-Racism Training (HEART) – a pioneering programme designed with students to train educators to become ambassadors of change addressing racism within our University. He worked with students and experts to deliver seminars and lead group discussions on anti-racism approaches. Enabling participants to have safe, productive conversations and build bridges of inclusion going way beyond the classroom. Adam’s enthusiasm for improving the student experience is evident through the overwhelmingly positive feedback: “HEART is powerful and drives me to do something. HEART makes me braver.”
Up for the Widening Participation award is the Great Science Share for Schools, led by Dr Lynne Bianchi and the SEERIH Team. In July 2016, our University hosted the first GSSfS inviting 5–14-year-olds teachers to take a simple, yet powerful step to encourage young scientists to ask-investigate and share their own scientific questions with new audiences. This has given rise to the largest, UK annual campaign for primary science education.
COVID resulted in GSSfS becoming a digital experience resulting in rapid, sustained growth in children participating: 91.3K in 2020 to 211.9K in 2021 and 317,655 across 28 countries in 2022. Above national average proportions of children from priority groups took part resulting in a step change in the profile of child-led science enquiry in schools. Teachers reported increased confidence in their skills and more time being spent on science.
Finally, the University is also nominated for the Outstanding Marketing/Communications Team for improvements made to communications with students. This created new ways of working and embedded student communications in local areas such as our halls of residence.
Perceptions among our students changed, improving our net promoter score among current students and an increase in applications. Students now engage far more with our content on social media, and contribute to its creation with their own ideas on the issues that matter.
- You can read the full list of nominees on the Times Higher Education website.
Our Communications teams also recently achieved 3rd place at the EUPRIO European HE Communications Conference for the Climate Questions Campaign, led by Jo D'Angelo, with involvement from across the University. This campaign has also been nominated for a Prolific North Award.