Essex wins place on University of the Year shortlist

The University of Essex is on the shortlist for University of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards – the most prestigious awards in the sector.

We're also shortlisted in the Outstanding Contribution to Leadership Development category.

Essex is going from strength to strength - welcoming record number of students this academic year and also attracting record levels of research funding.

This shortlisting is just our latest accolade after we were ranked 22nd in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide which also shortlisted us for University of the Year.

We're seen as a sector leader on key issues including being the first university to take action to close the gender pay gap for staff, ensuring no pay gap across all grades.

At the same time we're also one of just a handful of universities to be recognised by the Government assessments of excellence in both education and research.

"This is a tribute to our amazing staff, students and graduates"

Our Vice-Chancellor Professor Anthony Forster said: “I’m really proud to see the University shortlisted as University of the Year and in the Outstanding Contribution to Leadership Development category.

“This is a tribute to our amazing staff, students and graduates who all play a part in our global community and are so committed to our vision of making the world a better place.

“Our founding vision was based on excellence in education and research alongside a commitment to offering a transformational education.

“50 years on we’ve seized the opportunity to reconnect and refresh our founding vision by putting the success of our students and staff at the centre of what we do.

“Sharing a common Essex vision, we have worked in partnership from the outset with our amazing Students’ Union, focusing our combined efforts on improving the educational experience, performance and outcomes of our students.”

"We're thrilled our university is getting the recognition it deserves"

Students’ Union President Tanki Chartier said: "As a Students' Union, we’re very excited that the University of Essex has been shortlisted for this award, and we are proud of the great things we have achieved together creating a bold, innovative and inspiring education at Essex.

“The Students’ Union has worked hard, with the full support of the University, to ensure that the needs and voices of our student members are not only listened to, but acted upon, and we’re thrilled that our University is getting the recognition it deserves.

"We are proud of the outstanding reputation the University has built, leading the way in providing a transformative educational experience, working very closely with the Students’ Union to deliver an amazing experience to all students at Essex."

'Dual intensive', connecting with business, constantly innovating

Essex is one of only 11 'dual intensive' universities meaning we're ranked in the top 25% for both research quality (Research Excellence Framework) and the quality of our education (Teaching Excellence Framework).

We've also developed an innovative approach to working with business and external partners, becoming the leading university in London and the south east for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships - Innovate UK's flagship programme.

Essex is also the first university to appoint a Chief Scientific Adviser to a County Council and has invested more than £50m into creating the Knowledge Gateway research and technology park at its Colchester Campus.

Confirming Essex’s global reputation, the Times Higher Education World Rankings 2018 placed Essex in the top 300 and 19th for international outlook, with Social Sciences ranked 46th and Political Science, Sociology and Law all ranked in the top 50.