Strathclyde named Sunday Times Good University Guide Scottish University of the Year 2020

The University of Strathclyde has been named the Sunday Times Good University Guide Scottish University of the Year for 2020.

The accolade recognises the university’s strong student satisfaction ratings, subject rankings, campus investment and focus on entrepreneurship skills for students.

Alastair McCall, editor of The Sunday Times Good University Guide, said, "Riding high in The Times and The Sunday Times university league table, Strathclyde has the best student satisfaction ratings in Glasgow and among the best in Scotland.

“It is a university on the up, which has seen applications rise by 60% in recent years from students who are among the best-qualified to enter any UK university. It is the best university in the UK for subjects allied to medicine and social policy and only five universities top a larger number of the Good University Guide's specialist subject tables.

“The present £1bn building programme will only improve Strathclyde's student offer further with new learning and teaching premises, joining the recently-opened sports centre in enhancing the student experience. Famously founded as a ‘place of useful learning’, Strathclyde continues to position itself at the cutting edge. 

“It is embracing graduate and degree apprenticeships, encouraging student entrepreneurs, and has a business school that is highly regarded and among the largest in Europe.

“Strathclyde’s enterprise activity helps students develop, enhance and test transferable skills, giving many a head start in the graduate jobs market. It is a worthy winner of our Scottish University of the Year award.”

In the last year Strathclyde has:

• Launched Glasgow City Innovation District, in partnership with Glasgow City Council, Scottish Enterprise, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurial Scotland. As part of this it has developed the Technology & Innovation Centre Zone which sits at the heart of the District, acquired the Inovo building and advanced plans for two additional facilities to meet industry demand for cutting-edge research and highly-skilled graduates.
• Played a key part in the development of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland in Renfrewshire; being named as the anchor university for the Scottish Government’s National Manufacturing Institute Scotland. It is also overseeing the Lightweight Manufacturing Institute and the under-construction Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre
• Received its largest-ever research grant for One Ocean Hub – a £20m project being coordinated by Strathclyde which is working with 50 partners across the world to tackle the many issues facing our seas and aims to provide a framework of ocean governance that takes the interests of all stakeholders into account.
• Continued to invest in its campus with a focus on enhancing the student experience, through the opening of the £31m Strathclyde Sport building, its partnership with Students’ Union to create a £60m Learning and Teaching building, its transformation of wellbeing services; and the completion of a £20m combined heat-and-power network that is providing 40% of our electricity requirements, cutting 4,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions and which is projected to save the University £2m annually.

Strathclyde has also enhanced its socially-progressive initiatives to widen access to education, including:

• Achieving its target for recruiting 20% of students from the 40% most deprived areas in Scotland two years ahead of schedule and supporting care-experienced students.
• Establishing the Breaking Barriers initiative with ENABLE Scotland and ScottishPower to help young people with learning disabilities to gain a university qualification and valuable work experience.
• Helping 35 people with autism to secure jobs, including five at Strathclyde, through Project Search
• Pioneered science outreach days for school pupils with Additional Support Needs who are often excluded from such events
• Received ‘carer positive established’ status as an employer for our support for employees with caring responsibilities.
• Led the TRANSEdu project which seeks to protect transgender staff and students
• Piloted the Equally Safe in Higher Education: a Scottish Government-funded project on behalf of the HE sector to rid campuses of gender-based violence.
• Contributed to the analysis of public policy, particularly through the Fraser of Allander Institute’s economic research team, the Centre for Energy Policy and Professor Sir John Curtice’s extensive contribution to political and electoral analysis and public engagement – recognised with a knighthood in the 2018 New Year’s Honours List.

Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal of the University of Strathclyde, said, "To be named Scottish University of the Year by the Sunday Times Good University Guide is a superb accolade and confirms our status as a leading international technological university.

“It is an endorsement of and recognition for the huge efforts colleagues and students at Strathclyde are making together to provide a first-class university experience, to create a modern well-equipped, sustainable campus and to contribute to the social and economic development of Glasgow, Scotland and beyond through their research and partnership working with business, industry and government.”