Nottingham University has received a First for its efforts to create a genuinely international institution. It was named higher education institution of the year by the Times Higher Educational Supplement.
Nottingham was rewarded after its pioneering work in creating a global university, with campuses in China and Malaysia opening in the past twelve months. The new sites are now home to 4,000 students, and exchange programmes mean staff and students can move easily between the campuses.
“The campus in Nottingham is fantastic and the links with Malaysia now means we have the chance go on an exchange there, one of my friends just got back and he loved it,” said Tom Strange, a fourth year medical student. “We have an excellent student life here and the teaching and support are of a really high standard.”
The university attempts to replicate the British campus atmosphere in Asia, with the Ningbo campus in China containing a replica of Nottingham’s Trent building.
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The editor of THES, John O’Leary, explained why the judges opted for the university ranked 14th in this year’s Times Good University Guide. “Nottingham has been extremely popular with students for a long time,” said O’Leary. “The overseas initiatives in Asia clinched it for them this year. The judges thought it was truly groundbreaking and leading the way for higher education in the UK.”
Baroness Kennedy, the barrister, Labour peer and THES award judge, said: “This is about Nottingham being really bold. It is about looking to the future and saying it wants to have a relationship of substance with those parts of the world. I am sure the campuses will reap huge rewards.”
Nottingham University Vice-Chancellor, Sir Colin Campbell, said: “This recognition reinforces our commitment to a dynamic international strategy which is fulfilling potential, enhancing cultural understanding, and developing talent across continents.”