Dundee shortlisted as University of the Year in Times Higher Education Awards

Published On Wed 6 Sep 2017 by Roddy Isles

The University of Dundee has been shortlisted as the `University of the Year’ for the Times Higher Education Awards 2017.

The shortlisting recognises the University’s remarkable progress over the academic year 2015-16. Following a realignment of the University’s academic and professional structure, which took effect in August 2015, we have:

  • twice been named Scottish University of the Year
  • achieved an average rise of 20 places across the three main league tables in the UK
  • achieved record scores in the National Student Survey, in the top ten in the UK
  • been given a Gold Award in the Teaching Excellence Framework, one of only eleven institutions to do so who are also in the world’s Top 200 universities.

“This is fantastic recognition of the work of all our staff and students, who have worked tirelessly to fulfil the core aim of our strategy to be the leading university in Scotland,” said Professor Sir Pete Downes, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University.

“Our `One Dundee’ approach has driven a period of sustained achievement across our teaching and research and in key areas such as widening access to higher education and graduate employability.

“I am delighted for everyone in the University community that their efforts have resulted in us being shortlisted as the University of the Year.”

The awards ceremony takes place on Thursday 30th November at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London.

Sean O’Connor, President of Dundee University Students’ Association (DUSA), said, “This is great news for all of the students arriving here for the start of the academic year. They know they are at a university where the student experience is one of the best you will find anywhere.”

Dundee has have achieved an average rise of around 20 places across the three leading league tables in the UK – The Guardian University Guide, the Complete University Guide and The Times Good University Guide.

We have long been a research-intensive university, punching well above our weight in research income and performance. We are the top university in the UK for biological sciences research and top in Scotland across the STEM and Art & Design subjects (RAE 2014) and have the fourth highest proportion of research grant income to total income of any UK university.

We have matched that world class research – which led to us being named among Europe’s `Most Innovative’ universities – with excellence in teaching.

We achieved a Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework, one of only eleven universities in the UK to hold that award and THE World Top 200 status.

Student satisfaction and employment have soared, with Dundee in the top ten of the NSS and Times Higher Education placing us in a similar position for graduate prospects. We have been consistently ranked as providing among the best student experiences in the UK. Underpinning work across teaching and student experience is an unparalleled level of engagement with our Students’ Association, which is formalised through the Student Partnership.

On widening access we lead the way in Scotland. We have moved from one-quarter of our students coming from the 40 per cent most deprived areas in Scotland to more than one-third, making more progress in this area than any other university in Scotland over a three-year period.

We have managed this even while seeing demand to study at Dundee rise as our core aims of increasing our applications and ultimately our student numbers are met, often in spectacular measure. Applications are up across the board, bucking all UK national trends.

Our wider impact is symbolised by the rise of the V&A Museum of Design in Dundee, a project that originated at the University and broke ground in 2015.

For more on the Times Higher Education Awards 2017 see http://www.the-awards.co.uk/2017/en/page/home

To enter the `University of the Year' category we were asked to make a submission of 500 words outlining why Dundee should be considered. You can read our submission on the One Dundee blog.


For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head of Corporate Communications
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
Tel: +44 (0)1382 384910
Mobile: 07800 581902
Email: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk