Ulster University shortlisted for university of the year award

It has been shortlisted for the Times Higher Education award, among the top institutions in the UK and Ireland.

US special envoy for Northern Ireland Joe Kennedy speaks ahead of a speech by US President Joe Biden at Ulster University in Belfast in April last year (Liam McBurney/PA) (PA Archive)

Ulster University has been shortlisted for a prestigious university of the year title.

The Northern Ireland institution was shortlisted along with the top universities in the UK and Ireland by Times Higher Education (THE) for exceptional performance during the 2022-23 academic year.

Set across three campuses, Ulster University’s new Belfast base had the eyes of the world on it as the only UK visit by US President Joe Biden in April 2023.

In the year of the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, Mr Biden acknowledged the role of the university in Northern Ireland, speaking at the campus which it is hoped will transform learning and teaching experiences while making a significant economic impact in the immediate area, across the city, and the wider region.

In Londonderry, a multi-million-pound Shared Island investment in a new teaching and student services building is set to expand a hub for health sciences and practice which is home to the first paramedic science course in the region and is preparing to graduate the first cohort of doctors from the Graduate Entry School of Medicine next year.

In Coleraine, the university is delivering on its ambition for an innovative drug discovery centre which will complement the existing biomedical science and pharmacology offering.

It also hosts new programmes such as adventure sports and golf management alongside arts, humanities and education.

Ulster University vice chancellor Professor Paul Bartholomew welcomed the recognition.

“We are delighted to be shortlisted by Times Higher Education for university of the year – it is excellent recognition for the university and reflects the hard work of our staff and the support of our student community across our campuses,” he said.

“I truly believe that Ulster University is an extraordinary organisation in every sense of the word and in recent years we really began to realise our full potential. We are a university of and for the world, attracting the attention of presidents, politicians and changemakers.

“Ulster University is a research-led, people-centric, community-focused and values-driven institution that believes in equality, celebrates diversity and fosters inclusion.

“In Northern Ireland, we are uniquely positioned to drive forward economic prosperity and growth as a multi-campus university that creates opportunities and improves the quality of lives across the whole of our shared region.”

THE Editor John Gill congratulated all those short-listed.

“This year’s THE awards mark the 20th anniversary of the event, which over the last two decades has celebrated the wonderful achievements of a sector that has undergone extraordinary transformation without ever losing sight of the vital role it plays across the UK and Ireland,” he said.

“In 2024 it’s fair to say that higher education is going through a challenging period, but these awards are a constant reminder that we should never underestimate the dedication and drive of those who work in our universities to transforming lives for the better.

“Enthusiasm for these awards as a way to celebrate those achievements remains undimmed, with more entries in our 20th year than ever before.

“Our sincere congratulations to all those shortlisted in such a competitive year – it really is an achievement to have reached this stage and we very much look forward to celebrating with you all at our 20th birthday party in Birmingham on November 28.”

Ulster University was previously shortlisted for University of the Year in 2021 by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide.