University of Warwick rise to challenges of pandemic
The University of Warwick has been named the 'University of the Year for Teaching Quality' and runner-up for 'University of the Year' by the Sunday Times’ Good University Guide 2022.
The guide, which places Warwick as eighth in the UK overall, cites the University’s success in the 2021 National Student Survey (NSS) and its response to the COVID19 pandemic as key reasons for its achievements in this year’s awards.
“Winner of our University of the Year for Teaching Quality award, Warwick has never been outside the top ten in our academic ranking and moves up two places this year," the guide stated. "It landed our teaching prize, along with being runner-up for University of the Year, thanks to strong student endorsement of its Covid response, expressed through this year’s National Student Survey (NSS).”
The news follows the Guardian University Guide 2022 placing Warwick sixth in the UK, a rise of two places, and Times Higher Education placing Warwick 78th in the world.
Warwick’s success in this year’s NSS saw the university ranked third in the Russell Group and 13th in the UK for Overall Satisfaction.
The university’s response to COVID19 includes the work of researchers from the School of Life Sciences and the Mathematics Institute acting as members of the government’s SPI-M subcommittee - reporting to SAGE and playing a leading role in national response to the pandemic.
The guide states: “Warwick, our runner-up for University of the Year, is another institution that embraced the academic and research challenges presented by the pandemic. Academics from its School of Life Sciences and Mathematics are members of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling, which provided the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies with models on the spread of the coronavirus.”
The Warwick community has also played a leading role in Coventry, Warwickshire ,and the West Midlands’ response to COVID19. Warwick Medical School students have worked on the front line in treating patients and have helped deliver the vaccine rollout, while Warwick scientists and engineers have produced PPE to support frontline care workers.
University of Warwick Vice Chancellor, Professor Stuart Croft, said: “This tremendous result is down to the tenacity, the integrity, and the sheer hard work of our entire Warwick community in the face of unprecedented global disruption and difficulty.
“Thank you to our students and staff who have pulled together this year, adapting to new ways of living, working, and learning, while continuing to provide the world-class teaching and research of which we are all so proud.”
Professor Chris Hughes, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education), said: “Throughout this pandemic, staff and students at Warwick have listened and further built on the work of our Education Strategy, and co-developed innovative ways to deliver an extremely high quality of connected teaching and learning, despite the challenges and limitations felt by the entire world.
“To everyone at Warwick who has been a part of this, thank you so much. This achievement is a recognition of your resilience, your spirit of cooperation, and your commitment to education."