RAU shortlisted for Times Higher Education Award

29 Sep 2020

The Royal Agricultural University’s (RAU) growing reputation for entrepreneurial success has been recognised in the annual Times Higher Education (THE) Awards 2020.

The University is one of only six finalists in the ‘Outstanding Entrepreneurial University’ category of the 16th THE Awards, widely known as the “Oscars of higher education.”

The biggest celebration of UK higher education in the calendar, the THE Awards recognise outstanding work across a wide range of university activity, covering leadership and management, professional services and academia.

Through its School of Business and Entrepreneurship and its award-winning Enterprise Programme the RAU fosters an entrepreneurial mindset among its students.

The University’s Enterprise Programme provides a supportive environment for students to develop their enterprise skills and business ideas via its Think, Try, Launch, Grow framework of support. The Programme has been supporting students for over 13 years to get involved with enterprise and explore their business ideas. In addition, the University provides access to two live student-led social enterprises Cotswold Hills wine and Muddy Wellies beer, both stocked widely in retail outlets including Mid-Counties Co-Op and Waitrose.

Dr David Bozward, Head of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship, said: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for ‘Outstanding Entrepreneurial University’ in these prestigious THE Awards. As a university we have developed close links between our degree curriculum and the student enterprise activities which means students develop a more in-depth understanding of entrepreneurship. A good example of this is our BSc (Hons) Rural Entrepreneurship and Enterprise degree which supports student who have a business idea as well as those who want to take over an existing business.”

In 2019 the RAU was recognised as a Centre of Excellence by the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (IOEE) and awarded the title of Enterprising Learning Provider of the Year at the Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative (SFEDI) and IOEE awards.

For the first time in their history, the winners of this year’s THE Awards 2020 will be announced in a virtual ceremony which takes place on 26 November 2020.

Visit the THE Awards 2020 website for more information about the awards and finalists in each category.