The finalists for this year’s  for the UK and Ireland have been named.

More than 120 institutions submitted well over 500 entries in all, with 69 institutions making the final shortlist for this 21st edition of the awards, dubbed the “Oscars of higher education”.

The 21 award categories cover all aspects of university activity – from innovative teachers and world-class research to outstanding estates teams and international collaborations.

This year also saw the introduction of a new category – Specialist Institution of the Year – recognising the crucial role these providers play in UK and Irish HE.

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Competing for the coveted University of the Year award are Heriot-Watt University, Queen Mary University of London, Teesside University, the University of East London, the University of Hertfordshire and the University of Worcester.

Five institutions lead the way with four appearances each. They are Aston University, the University of Exeter, the University of Hertfordshire, the University of Salford and the University of Warwick.

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Winners will be announced on 13 November at the EICC in Edinburgh, the first time this ceremony has been held in Scotland.

ɫ��ֱ�� editor Chris Havergal said that “at a time of unprecedented challenge for higher education, the ɫ��ֱ�� Awards enter their third decade as a steady and staunch reminder of the exceptional work that continues to take place across the UK and Ireland every day, on campuses and beyond”.

“That we received well over 500 entries for this year’s awards is a sure sign that the sector’s commitment to transforming lives for the better is undimmed. We offer our sincere congratulations to all those institutions and individuals shortlisted – it really is an achievement to have reached this stage in a very competitive year.

“A�� ɫ��ֱ��, we have long recognised that the sector draws so much strength from its diversity and that there is no single model of success. That’s why we are delighted to see such a wide range of providers making the shortlists, including for the new category of Specialist Institution of the Year, which honours some of our truly unsung heroes.

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“We are also hugely excited to be taking this year’s awards ceremony to Scotland for the first time. We look forward to you joining us in Edinburgh on 13 November for a special celebration of innovation and excellence in higher education, which in these times go unrecognised or underappreciated far too often.”

The awards ceremony will be the finale to this year’s Student Success UK&IE event. Learn more about the finalists’ work , and for more information on the awards, visit .

Shortlists for Times Higher Education�����ɲ������ 2025

Business School of the Year

• Aston Business School, Aston University
• J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics, University of Galway
• Liverpool Business School, Liverpool John Moores University
• LSBU Business School, London South Bank University
• Royal Docks School of Business and Law, University of East London
• University of Exeter Business School

International Collaboration of the Year

• Loughborough University
• The Open University
• University of Birmingham
• University of Exeter
• University of Leicester
• University of Warwick

Knowledge Exchange/Transfer Initiative of the Year

• Lancaster University
• University of Chester
• University of Essex
• University of Huddersfield
• University of Reading
• University of Warwick

Most Innovative Teacher of the Year

Sponsored by Advance HE

• Zemin Chen, University of Lancashire
• Cora Beth Fraser, The Open University
• Brian Freeland, Dublin City University
• Edvard Glücksman, University of Exeter
• Matthew Jones, University of Salford
• Kate Knight, University of Chester
• Jon Newton, University of the West of England
• Marie Taillard, ESCP Business School

Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Leadership

• Aston University
• Cardiff Metropolitan University
• King’s College London
• Nottingham Trent University
• Royal Northern College of Music
• University of York

Outstanding Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

• Buckinghamshire New University
• Liverpool John Moores University
• Royal College of Art
• University of Glasgow
• University of Leicester
• University of Liverpool and upReach

Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community

• Aston University
• Cardiff University
• King’s College London
• Nottingham Trent University
• Teesside University
• University of Chichester

Outstanding Entrepreneurial University

Sponsored by NCEE

• Cranfield University
• Imperial College London
• Northeastern University – London
• Swansea University
• University of South Wales
• University of Southampton

Outstanding Estates Team

• Abertay University
• Buckinghamshire New University
• ESCP Business School
• Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
• University of Hertfordshire
• University of Huddersfield

Outstanding Library Team of the Year

Sponsored by Kortext

• Birmingham Newman University
• Royal College of Art
• Royal Northern College of Music
• University of Chichester
• University of Strathclyde
• University of West London

Outstanding Marketing/Communications Team of the Year

• Edinburgh Napier University
• Loughborough University
• University of Birmingham
• University of Hertfordshire
• University of Southampton
• University of Wolverhampton

Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year

• Qammer Abbasi, University of Glasgow
• Josie Barnard, De Montfort University
• Lars Chittka, Queen Mary University of London
• Andy Clarke, University of Lancashire
• Stephen Gibson, Heriot-Watt University
• Ursula Hurley, University of Salford
• Alastair Owens, Queen Mary University of London
• Michael Sweet, University of Derby

Outstanding Support for Students

Sponsored by Studiosity

• De Montfort University
• Manchester Metropolitan University
• University of Salford
• University of South Wales
• University of Warwick
• University of Westminster

Outstanding Technician of the Year

Sponsored by Technician Commitment

• Jiteen Ahmed, Aston University
• Helena Brown, University of Leeds
• Phil Chaplain, Robert Gordon University
• Alex Laude, Newcastle University
• Linda Lightley, Northumbria University
• John Nicolson, University of Cambridge
• Joe Rees-Jones, University of York
• Kate Robinson, Harper Adams University

Research Project of the Year: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

• Kingston University, in collaboration with The Open University, the Mary Stevens Hospice, Dimensions, MacIntyre and the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group
• Northeastern University – London
• University of Exeter
• University of Glasgow
• University of Leicester
• University of Salford

Research Project of the Year: STEM

• Kingston University
• University of Birmingham
• University of Cambridge
• University of Lancashire
• University of Reading
• University of West London

Specialist Institution of the Year

• Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology
• Falmouth University
• Harper Adams University
• Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
• New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE)
• Norland

Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year

Sponsored by Jisc

• Dublin City University
• Solent University, Southampton
• University of Cambridge
• University of Chester
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Leeds

Widening Participation or Outreach Initiative of the Year

• Liverpool John Moores University
• Sheffield Hallam University
• The Open University
• University of Greenwich
• University of Hertfordshire
• University of Warwick

ɫ��ֱ�� Outstanding Achievement Award

There is no shortlist for this category. The winner, chosen by Times Higher Education, will be announced at the awards ceremony.

University of the Year

Sponsored by Adobe

• Heriot-Watt University
• Queen Mary University of London
• Teesside University
• University of East London
• University of Hertfordshire
• University of Worcester