Fulfilment of university dream for Peterborough secures prestigious Times Higher Education award nomination for ARU

The successful opening of Peterborough’s £30 million university has put one of its founding organisations in pole position for a prestigious honour.

The on-time and on-budget completion of ARU Peterborough, in Bishop’s Road, in the summer last year has been heralded as a ‘significant achievement’ for Anglia Ruskin University (ARU).

Now ARU has been shortlisted for the University of the Year accolade at the Times Higher Education (THE) 2023 awards in recognition of an ‘exceptional performance during the 2021-22 academic year’ – a time when the Covid-19 pandemic was still causing disruption,

It is up against the University of York and the University of Exeter with the winners to be announced on December 7.

ARU has also been shortlisted in two other categories, which are Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community Award – for the creation of ARU Peterborough - and Outstanding Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

Anglia Ruskin University was part of a unique partnership with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and Peterborough City Council, which oversaw the completion of the first teaching building at ARU Peterborough ready to welcome its first students last September.

Creating a university had been a dream of Peterborough business and civic leaders for decades and they were determined its curriculum should be shaped locally to equip local people with the skills needed by local employers.

Since then, ARU Peterborough has seen the completion of a second phase – a manufacturing research centre – and the start of work on a third phase for a ‘Living Lab’ plus teaching space.

Professor Roderick Watkins, Vice Chancellor of ARU, said: “ARU’s achievements in 2021-22 included the realisation of major projects and our best-ever global rankings, delivering on our mission to serve our region and transform lives through innovative, inclusive and entrepreneurial education and research.

“ARU Peterborough is a perfect example of this. It realises a 40-year ambition to establish a university for Peterborough, which has been a long-term Higher Education ‘cold spot’.

"ARU Peterborough will play a pivotal role in transforming the city, providing the skills local employers need and bringing life-changing opportunities to its students.

“I’m delighted that this and many other important initiatives have been recognised by the Times Higher Education.”