Overview
The University of Huddersfield, colloquially known as Huddersfield University, is a public research institution situated in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. Established as a university in 1992, it traces its roots to various institutions dating back to the 19th century. The university has garnered acclaim for its commitment to teaching quality, receiving the inaugural Higher Education Academy Global Teaching Excellence Award in 2017. It also secured a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Gold Award in both 2017 and 2023. Recognized as one of England's leading universities, it boasts a remarkable 94% of its staff with teaching qualifications, topping the list in 2022. Additionally, the university has intensified its focus on research quality, with over three-quarters of its academic staff holding a doctorate as of 2022, marking the third-highest rate in England. George W. Buckley, a university alumnus and former CEO of 3M, assumed the role of chancellor in 2020.
Ranking
Rankings National rankings Complete (2024) 70
Guardian (2024) 64
Times / Sunday Times (2024) 75
Global rankings QS (2024)567
THE (2024) 501–600
In the 2015–16 QS World University Rankings, it held a position beyond 701. The university received the Entrepreneurial University of the Year award at the THE awards in 2012, followed by the Outstanding Registry Team award in 2013 at the THE Leadership and Management awards. The title of University of the Year was bestowed upon the institution at the THE awards in 2013. Further recognition came in 2014 when it was honored as the Best University Workplace by Times Higher Education (THE). The university was recognized as the New University of the Year at the Educate North Awards in 2015.
Demonstrating its commitment to academic excellence, the university ensures that all academic staff possess, or are actively pursuing, a teaching qualification. In 2016, it ranked first among all UK universities for having qualified teaching staff, with over 90% of its academics holding teaching qualifications. This marked a significant lead, as the next-highest institution achieved an 84% score. The university maintained its top position among English universities in this regard by 2020.
Organisational Structure
New Business School The university is structured into the following academic schools:
- Applied Sciences
- Arts and Humanities
- Computing and Engineering
- Education and Professional Development
- Business
- Human and Health Sciences
Research The university houses world-leading applied research groups in biomedical sciences, engineering and physical sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities. In recent years, it has experienced a fourfold increase in research income and the number of postgraduate researchers.
In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) assessment, the University of Huddersfield achieved its highest-ever result, ascending to the 68th position in the UK Research Power league table, a significant improvement from the 97th position in the 2008 REF. The university entered 262 academics, the highest number to date, and saw a rise in the proportion of world-leading research submissions to 15%.
In the 2021 REF, the University continued to enhance its research performance by submitting 589 academic staff, positioning itself in the top third of all UK institutions in terms of 'research power.'
Additionally, the university hosts the MIAMI facilities, a world-class laboratory dedicated to materials sciences investigations and energy studies.
©2016