The Herald Higher Education Awards return for an eighth time in 2023, celebrating  the extraordinary and outstanding work taking place in universities and colleges across Scotland, much of which deserves to be better known.

The awards also highlight innovation in teaching and explore how colleges and universities attract students, staff and investment; how they support students, and how they build links with employers in order to enhance the learning experience and also to widen opportunities for their graduates.

But it isn’t just the institutions that deserve recognition and the awards will once again shine a spotlight on those amazing students whose energy and initiative contributes so much to both academic life and the community in which it operates.

This year’s ceremony will take place on Thursday, 1 June at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow and it will be hosted by Bryan Burnett.  The event will be an opportunity for those involved to come together in order to share good practice and strengthen the status of learning and teaching in the Scottish higher education sector.

This year there are 16 categories, ranging from ‘Enhancing Student Learning’  and  ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community,’  to the ‘Equality, Diversion and Inclusivity’ award.

The Research Project of the Year award is sponsored by the Scottish Funding Council and last year it went to Cool Farm Tool in partnership with Professor Peter Smith from the University of Aberdeen, for their work in developing an online greenhouse gas, water and biodiversity calculator for farmers.

Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said: “We are proud to have been involved in The Herald Higher Education awards since they were first established eight years ago. The awards provide an annual showcase for the amazing achievements of colleges and universities in Scotland, and I look forward to more examples of excellence in this year’s entries.”

Also last year, the ‘Supporting Student Wellbeing ’ award, sponsored by student writing and referencing service, Studiosity, was won by The University of Edinburgh Chaplaincy for ‘The Listening Service’, a facility where students and staff can talk over their challenges on any subject, from academic stress and loneliness, to mental health and financial worries.

Isabelle Bristow, Managing Director UK and Europe, Studiosity said: “The ’Supporting Student Wellbeing’ award is about recognising initiatives that have had a positive impact on the experience of students. As a student first organisation, our mission is to improve the life chances and wellbeing of students everywhere, so we are honoured to once more sponsor this hugely important category. 

“The annual Herald Higher Education Awards are a wonderful opportunity to reflect and recognise the tireless work by all higher education institutions across Scotland to ensure that their students have the best experience, both academically and personally. Our own data clearly shows that supported students have more confidence, a greater sense of belonging, improved attainment and ultimately successful progression into the wider world.

“In my role as judge, I shall be looking for clear evidence of this same student experience impact; I have no concerns in finding it, only in picking just the one ultimate winner.

Meanwhile entrants in the ‘Innovative Use of Technology Award’ will have to match the achievements of Edinburgh College, current title holders, who last year impressed the judges with their VR Dementia Experience project and all educational bodies in the country will be hoping to be named ‘Higher Educational Institution of the Year’, a title that in 2022 was awarded to the University of the West of Scotland.

Other categories include ‘Lifetime Achievement’; ‘Outstanding Contribution from a University Student’;’Outstanding Contribution from a College Student’; ‘Outstanding Contribution from a Staff Member;’Partnership Award’;’Marketing/PR Campaign of the Year’; Outstanding Business Opportunities in Colleges’; Outstanding Business Opportunities in Universities’ and the ‘Widening Access Award’

Full details of the awards and how to enter are available at: https://newsquestscotlandevents.com/events/heawards/