University of Salford shortlisted for four prestigious Times Higher Education Awards

Widely regarded as the 'Oscars' of higher education sector, the annual THE Awards celebrate the outstanding performance of colleges and universities across 20 categories. 2021 marks 17 years of the THE Awards and almost 600 institutions, teams and individuals were nominated in total this year - a record number of submissions.

This year, the awards will celebrate the achievement of universities during the academic year 2019/20 - a period when we were faced with wide-ranging challenges and restrictions brought by the Covid-19 pandemic. 
 

The University has been shortlisted in four categories:

• International Collaboration of the Year - Professor Peter Hogg, School of Health and Society, with support from Ken Holmes, University of Cumbria

  As the coronavirus pandemic spread, the demand for mobile chest X-rays significantly increased, but not all radiographers and radiologists were up to date with this technique.  At the time, no readily available resource like this existed in the world. Providing this world first e-learning resource meant that tens of thousands of hours could be saved in creating training materials and delivering training sessions; resulting in more time spent caring for patients.

  The project was initiated by Professor Peter Hogg, Professor of Radiography at the University.  Peter co-ordinated a multinational team of over 50 experts, including radiography leaders from Italy, Jordan, Malta, Singapore, Switzerland, and the USA, who volunteered over a thousand hours of time between them. Peter also brought together the European Federation of Radiographers, the International Society of Radiographers, and the UK College of Radiographers to enable the web-project to come to fruition within 4 weeks.
   

• Most Innovative Teacher of the Year - Dr Sara Namvar, School of Science, Engineering and Environment 
   

  Enhancing the employability of students is a core part of the University’s strategy. More than 40% of the University’s students are from a low-income background with 30% identifying themselves as BAME (20% is the national average).

  Dr Sara Namvar is a lecturer in Biomedical Science and is constantly looking at new and innovative ways to create learning opportunities for students. PassionFlash, a project initiated by Sara that initially launched to a small group of Biomedicine students during 2019, went bigger and bolder for the academic year 2019-2020. 

  PassionFlash is a competition where students are invited to deliver a TED-style talk on a subject that they are passionate about. The goal is to improve employability by creating a platform that allows students to develop their confidence skills and raise their aspirations. PassionFlash 2020 saw 35 students audition from 16 different degree programmes on topics ranging from sleep paralysis to folk music.

  Over 90% of students responded that post-PassionFlash they had raised aspirations in their personal achievements. PassionFlash has now become an annual event run by the University, with the popularity and contributions from students growing year on year.  
   

• Outstanding Technician of the Year - Manisha Patel, School of Science, Engineering and Environment 
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  Since joining Salford a full decade ago, Biomedical Sciences & Physiology specialist technician Manisha Patel has become an inspiration to our University community. This was particularly evident when the UK went into lockdown in March 2020 and she became a rock to her fellow technicians, academics and students.

  When the Coronavirus pandemic hit her leadership and ingenuity was widely recognised. When face-to-face teaching ceased, she oversaw the creation of essential video materials which would support students working from home. Always going the extra mile, Manisha learned to shoot and edit video from scratch so she could create professional standard footage from the labs, including practical classes that students could watch remotely. Manisha is a beacon of positivity at Salford and she is committed to proving the huge impact technicians have daily. 
   

• Outstanding Estates Team

  Our dedicated Estates team were instrumental in the development of the Crescent and University District Masterplan, its procurement and the subsequent appointment of a private sector partner who is currently working in partnership with the University and Salford City Council to deliver the exciting and ambitious Masterplan, as well as the regeneration of the wider Salford Crescent area.

  The team drives the University’s environmental sustainability goals, demonstrating sustainability through our operations and using our campus as a living laboratory. We value our urban campus green spaces and encourage biodiversity. In recognition of this we received a prestigious Green Flag Award in July 2019 and 2020. When the UK went into national lockdown during March 2020, the dedication and resourcefulness of our Estates team was evident. As certain functions on campus needed to continue, frontline colleagues worked tirelessly to ensure operational integrity at the University.
   

Commenting on the shortlist, Professor Helen Marshall, Vice-Chancellor, said: "I am absolutely delighted that the University has been shortlisted and recognised for our fantastic work. It’s been an unbelievably challenging time and we’ve managed to get through it by pulling together and working incredibly hard. We have shown that we can rise to any challenge set and I have huge pride in team Salford for what we’ve achieved.”

The winners will be announced at an in-person glittering awards ceremony in London on 25 November 2021.

You can view the full THE Awards shortlist for 2021 on the website.