University of the Year award 2023

We're proud to be shortlisted for the University of the Year accolade at the Times Higher Education (THE) 2023 awards.

We're also shortlisted for Outstanding Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; and Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community.

Logo: THE Awards 2023 Shortlisted - University of the Year

The prestigious THE awards honour ’exceptional performance during the 2021-22 academic year’. Our shortlisting reflects ARU’s success in delivering high-impact projects during this period, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Our submission focused on the difference we make in the region and communities where we're based – while also acknowledging the broader impact of our world-leading research, and the contributions our students and graduates make to society.



Serving our region and communities

We have campuses in Cambridge, Chelmsford and Peterborough and in 2021-22, major developments and events took place in all three cities:

  • we successfully launched ARU Peterborough, a new university designed to meet the needs of local students, employers, and the regional economy
  • in Chelmsford, we hosted the most sustainable British Science Festival ever, attracting thousands of local people to a range of events held on campus and across the city
  • we opened the first Samaritans university hub in the UK on our Cambridge campus. Samaritans aims to offer more online support and our hub, which anyone can contact, is staffed by fully trained student and staff volunteers.

Through partnerships with eight police forces, we became the largest university provider of initial police education, as well as being recognised in the 2021 Graduate Outcomes Survey as the largest provider of health and social work graduates in the UK, reinforcing our commitment to offering innovative, employer-led courses that serve the region.

In the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2022, we were ranked 1st in the UK and 20th globally for health and wellbeing.

ARU Peterborough

ARU Peterborough opened its doors in 2022, offering career-focused degree courses developed with input with regional businesses.

Explore ARU Peterborough

Training key workers for our region

We partner with eight police forces to train the officers of the future – and were recognised as the largest provider of health and social work graduates in the UK in the 2021 Graduate Outcomes Survey.

Leading the way for healthcare graduates New routes to joining the police

Promoting good health and wellbeing

Thanks in part to our innovative partnerships, and the wellbeing support we offer to students and staff, we were ranked 1st in the UK for health and wellbeing in 2021-22.

Health and wellbeing at ARU ARU hosts first Samaritans hub in UK

Delivering innovative education and research

In 2021-22, our rapid response to the Covid-19 pandemic ensured that our students could continue to study and achieve the awards they deserved. Strongly shaped by students’ views, we continue to offer innovative provision including:

In May 2022 the impact of our research was recognised in the Research Excellence Framework, with every subject area having research rated as ‘world-leading’. This best-ever outcome for ARU followed the award of The Queen’s Anniversary Prize, which acknowledged the globally important work of our Cambridge Institute of Music Therapy Research.

World-leading research

The quality and impact of our research has been recognised in the Research Excellence Framework, and with the award of The Queen's Anniversary Prize.

Research Excellence Framework 2021 The Queen's Anniversary Prize

Innovative curriculum

Our courses support students to develop transferable skills that employers value, and to work together to explore complex local and global issues.

Ruskin Modules Students at the Heart of Knowledge Exchange

Taking pride in our University community

At ARU, our mission is to serve our region and transform lives through innovative, inclusive and entrepreneurial education and research.

Our staff and students have helped to make the projects mentioned above – and others – the successes that they are.

We’re proud of all our staff and the transformational difference they’re making to our students’ lives. And we're equally proud of our students: what they achieve when they’re with us, and the positive change they bring to their world as graduates.

The Times Higher Education 2023 award winners will be announced at a ceremony in Liverpool on 7 December.