03/12/2012

Huddersfield University caps quite a week with prestigious award


Huddersfield University


When you think of pushing the boundaries of further education, your mind immediately conjures infamous colleges such as Eton, King's or Trinity from Cambridge, Blackfriars or Christ Church, Oxford. Very rarely does Huddersfield University spring to mind. But they've had quite a week up there in Yorkshire, let me tell you.

On Thursday, the long awaited findings of the Leveson Inquiry were made public. Not that anyone was really that bothered but you have to take your hat off to Huddersfield University for holding a debate entitled The Future of Journalism that self same evening.


No doubt the date for the debate, held at Huddersfield University's Canalside outpost, was no coincidence. The labour MP who pushed for a full inquiry into the phone-hacking scandal, Tom Watson, was on hand to speak alongside a whole host of recognised names from global media.

Rather than have two opposing sides of a specific argument battle it out, the debate was hosted à la Question Time. Amongst the more well-known media outfits represented were the BBC, The Next Web, The NUJ and Al Jazeera.

Equally-impressive media insight from a local standpoint was contributed by the Huddersfield Daily Examiner and Yorkshire Women's Life.

Huddersfield University fight off stiff competition to claim coveted award


Topping that daring debate, however, was the award Huddersfield University collected at The Times Higher Education Awards, 2012. The awards, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, rewarded the West Yorkshire university for "entrepreneurial outlook championed at the highest levels of the institution."

Having fought off strong competition from Edinburgh and Strathclyde to scoop this year's 'coveted' UK Entrepreneurial University of the Year title for 2012, innovation chair Professor Towns-Andrews accepted the award at the 'Oscars-style' event on behalf of the Huddersfield University team.

As we reported last week, over 90% of young adults in further education believe that the answer to the UK's economic woes lies along the entrepreneurial path.

Yet with secondary school education offering so little to encourage business acumen within its curriculum and term fees now up to £9,000/term in the UK for universities, it does make you wonder exactly where these entrepreneurs are going to come from.




Have your say: should university places be decided by intellect over affordability and should the private sector contribute to university fees?

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