Huddersfield shortlisted for prestigious Times Higher Education Awards
The University of Huddersfield is proud to announce that it has been shortlisted for two Times Higher Education Awards: Business School of the Year and Research Project of the Year: STEM.
The Times Higher Education Awards are considered to be the Oscars of the Higher Education world. The awards celebrate the top institutions and performers in the sector, and Huddersfield is in the running for two of these prestigious awards.
Huddersfield Business School – shortlisted for Business School of the Year
Huddersfield Business School (HBS) has been shortlisted for its work on creating opportunities in local communities. HBS has societal impact woven into its mission and vision. Located in the economically deprived West Yorkshire region, local communities face unique challenges. Working closely with partners and drawing on internationally recognised research excellence, HBS's efforts have created jobs, fostered business and charity growth, and established sustainable community support structures.
HBS's impact was particularly significant in 2021/22 as communities sought to recover from the pandemic by developing innovative and targeted interventions. Exploiting European funding HBS supported over 200 local manufacturing companies to identify new market opportunities and improve efficiency, creating more than 240 jobs. It used Help to Grow to support 14 SMEs that year, while an AI boot camp created new opportunities for 72 disadvantaged learners. A new project, 'Empowering Communities in Wakefield District' - built on a student consultancy project with a local charity - obtained UK Community Renewal Funding and created 82 jobs.
Archaeogenetics Research Group: Bronze Age Orkney – shortlisted for Research Project of the Year: STEM
An international research project led by the University of Huddersfield's Archaeogenetics Research Group has uncovered the story behind Bronze Age Orkney. Contrary to popular belief, it revealed that Orkney experienced large-scale immigration during the Early Bronze Age, which replaced much of the local population. The research also discovered something revolutionary, in that it was predominantly women who were the Bronze Age newcomers, pioneering the migration and transforming the genetic heritage of Orkney.
The findings of this research have surprised both archaeologists and geneticists alike and have attracted world-wide media interest. For the people of Orkney, it has provided a significant boost to their tourism industry which plays a key role in the local economy and has given the community a new sense of pride in its past.
The full shortlist can be found here. This year's winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday 7 December 2023.