UCLan has two chances for prestigious award

The prestigious THE Awards are regarded as the industry Oscars of the higher education sector and this year the Preston-based university has been shortlisted in two categories: Entrepreneurial University of the Year and Excellence and Innovation in the Arts.

It is the third year in a row that it has been nominated for an award in the Entrepreneurial University of the Year category, reflecting UCLan’s the growing status as one of the most innovative institutions in the higher education sector.

This year the UCLan application highlighted some major recent successes including the launch of a new centre for SME Development, a leadership hub and school-based enterprise hubs.

On top of that, 2014/15 saw the number of active patents owned by the University increase by 12 to 50, the second best year-on-year performance within the .

UCLan also continues to excel in graduate start-up activities, ranked third UK-wide for graduate start-ups established and first UK-wide for start-ups which are still active after three years.

The Excellence and Innovation in the Arts nomination relates to the Global Sound Movement, a digital arts project launched in 2015 by UCLan’s College of Culture and the Creative 
Industries.

The team has undertaken expeditions to remote villages across the world to capture the sounds of rare and exotic musical instruments.

The recordings have been uploaded to a digital sample library and made available for sale to music producers, generating a sustainable income for the villagers involved.

Vice-chancellor Professor Mike Thomas said: “Once again the university has been shortlisted in two categories of this year’s awards which is a fantastic achievement.

“To be highlighted in both categories, Entrepreneurial University of the Year, and Excellence and Innovation in the Arts is further proof of our aim to grow a vibrant community of academic innovators and maximise our positive social, environmental and economic impact locally, nationally and globally.