University shortlisted for the Times Higher Education (THE) national awards for 2012

Salford’s excellence has been recognised with the shortlisting of three entries in the prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) national awards for 2012.

The University has been shortlisted in the categories of excellence and innovation in the arts, international collaboration and most innovative teacher of the year.

The Times describes the Awards’ shortlist as singling out ‘those who uphold, and exceed, the standard of excellence’ in higher education. The winners will be announced in London on 29 November.

Excellence and innovation in the arts

Salford’s unique MA in Wildlife Documentary Production is a cross-genre course in which students learn state-of-the-art production techniques, use the latest technologies and underpin their output with accurate, up-to-date science, for instance about the habits of the wildlife they are seeking to film.

Academic staff and students have developed relationships with TV and film industry organisations and benefit from work experience placements, visits (including to Springwatch 2012) and hands-on experience.

International collaboration of the year

The University has been working in Iraq to support the rebuilding of the country’s governmental, business and industrial infrastructures following the conflict. The project entered for the award focused on the oil and gas industries.

Salford’s experts led a successful capacity-building collaboration in Basra which built relationships between academics, local authorities, the international oil and gas companies and their supply chain. Supported by the British Council, the development of the Basra Centre for Development and Innovation (BCDI) has enabled staff and students to share global knowledge and develop skills. It also sparked the development of a Science and Technology Park at the University of Basra.

Most innovative teacher of the year

Paul Tracey teaches Construction Law and Dispute Resolution to 230 Salford students. He developed a range of teaching strategies to help students link law and practice, memorise the names of parties involved in key legal cases and remember the legal principles established.

His imaginative interventions including the ‘CLDR 15’ – 15 objects carefully selected to jog students’ memories of key cases.  These included a battleship, a ginger beer bottle and a toy truck!