Portsmouth shortlisted at the ‘Oscars of higher education’

The University of Portsmouth has received three nominations at this year’s Times Higher Education (THE) Awards.

The awards are widely known as the ‘Oscars of higher education’.

The University has been shortlisted in the following categories:

• Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Leadership
• Outstanding Marketing/Communications Team
• Outstanding Technician of the Year - Alex Counsell from the Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries)

The nominations for Environmental Leadership (a new award this year that celebrates providers’ leadership on environmental issues) and Marketing/Communications Team are both based on the Revolution Plastics initiative, demonstrating our strategic priority to become one of the UK's leading universities in environmental sustainability.

Revolution Plastics brings together colleagues from across the University and assembles teams of researchers, business-leaders, campaigners and citizens who share our commitment and ambition to transform the way we make, use and dispose of plastic. From developing sustainable fashion, to combatting microplastics, we’re putting our research into practice, and addressing plastics pollution; generating a globally-relevant community of plastics researchers and contributing to the sustainable transition of the city of Portsmouth as a prototype and showcase for a sustainable plastics future.

Alex Counsell has been the driving force behind the creation and launch of the University’s Centre for Creative and Immersive Extended Reality (CCIXR). His vision and enthusiasm for XR technologies has influenced a generation of graduates who are embedded across the XR sector. Alex’s passion and integrity make him respected, not only by students and staff, but also the industry which he is integral to.

More than 70 universities from across the UK and Ireland are in the running for this year’s Times Higher Education Awards held at the ACC in Liverpool on 7 December – the first to be held outside London in the contest’s 19-year history.

From a record-breaking haul of entries, 120 – featuring 74 different institutions – have made the shortlist, with the 20 categories spanning the full range of university activity, covering academic and professional services, from front-line staff through all levels of leadership and management.

Portsmouth is one of 12 institutions boasting three nominations.