World-class professional and technical universities powering the UK's economic, social and cultural future
London
Joined December 2009
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📢 We're hiring a Senior Public Affairs and Policy Manager
Join UA to play a leading role in shaping HE policy, delivering political engagement, and raising the profile of the UK's professional and technical universities.
Apply today: bit.ly/4rHSlrt
ALT We are hiring a Senior Public Affairs and Policy Manager
“Workforce development is itself a form of excellence.”
Brilliantly put by BCU's Professor David Mba in HE👇
We need a broader definition of excellence in HE, one that values employer partnerships and regional workforce development, alongside research intensity.
New Post: WEEKEND READING: When prestige trumps skills: rethinking excellence in higher education hepi.ac.uk/2026/09/27/weeken… hepi.ac.uk/2026/09/27/weeken…
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Today, the Creative Education Coalition launches its new manifesto at Labour Party Conference.
Collectively, the Coalition is calling on Government to place creative education at the heart of its growth strategy.
Read the manifesto here: bit.ly/4ylVeks
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🎓 Real-world learning. Employer connections. Career-ready graduates.
That’s why students choose Alliance universities.
📽️ Hear directly from recent graduates below 👇
Read University Alliance's Strategy 2035: First for Students, First for Employers: bit.ly/4hgLwtH
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Our Deputy Director of Policy Ellie Russell in @timeshighered this morning urging the government to 'avoid setting up a false dichotomy between technical education and universities.” 👇
ALT A quote from THE that reads: “Constant policy and funding churn has left employers unsure what qualifications and routes are worth investing in,” said Ellie Russell, the University Alliance’s deputy director of policy. “The government must avoid setting up a false dichotomy between technical education and universities.” Referencing Burnham’s recent pledge to “value the hard hat as much as the graduate cap”, Russell added: “In professional and technical universities…many students will be no stranger to a hard hat or a pair of scrubs during their studies and most will work directly with employers before they earn their graduation cap – that distinction is constantly being eroded and reimagined.”
Andy Burnham’s “false dichotomy” between technical and higher education risks further undermining degree apprenticeships in England, universities fear #highered #degreeapprenticeships
timeshighereducation.com/new…
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University Alliance retweeted
We're celebrating not one, but two wins at last night's #AllianceAwards!
The first of these awards from @UniAlliance went to Professor Marcos Kauffman, Director of our Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME), who won the Industry Partnerships Award.
Marcos was nominated for leading our contribution to the Clean Futures Accelerator, creating a highly effective university-industry partnership model that has driven innovation, investment and growth in the West Midlands' clean transport sector, accelerating the region's journey to net zero.
Through the programme, more than 39 companies have been supported, more than 54 jobs have been created and safeguarded, and £129.6 million has been secured in co-investment.
Our second award was won by colleagues at the @NITE_org (NITE) in the Teaching Innovation category.
NITE was launched by Coventry University Group in 2019 to open up careers in teaching to more people through its innovative training model that allows students to train to teach in schools anywhere in England.
After gaining the licence to award the iQTS status in 2022 it expanded to enable teachers to train from anywhere in the world.
This award is a testament to the work our colleagues at NITE are doing to transform teacher education through flexible, research-informed programmes that widen access and improve the quality of training nationally and internationally.
Want to learn more about NITE and the Clean Futures Accelerator? Check out the links below.
NITE: pulse.ly/v2c8nhv8yu
Clean Futures Accelerator: pulse.ly/jolewxup22
@CovUniResearch @CPCatapult
🎉 And that wraps up the Alliance Awards 2026!
Thank you to our outstanding University of Derby, our presenters, judges and nominees, and of course all of tonight's outstanding winners.
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🏆 A standing ovation for Professor Paul Croney, newly retired Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Teesside University, winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award!
🏆 Congratulations to Coventry University’s National Institute for Teaching and Education, winner of the Teaching Innovation Award at this year's Alliance Awards for their flexible, evidence-based training to a global reach spanning 24 countries.
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🏆 Congratulations to Edward Boyle of Oxford Brookes University, winner of the Professional Services Excellence Award!
Edward's data-led approach to estate management has delivered over 1 million kg of CO₂ savings and around £1m in cost avoidance in under three years.
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👏 Congratulations to the EDI team at @UWEBristol, winners of the Heroes Award!
Their work is helping to improve student outcomes, strengthen leadership accountability and deliver lasting cultural change across the institution.
The Research and Innovation Impact Award goes to Professor Lisa Marzano of @MiddlesexUni
The judges recognised Lisa's work for helping to transform suicide prevention through real-time data and evidence-based interventions.
Congratulations Lisa!
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University Alliance retweeted
Anticipation is building here at the #AllianceAwards2026 🤞 Senior lecturer Dr Ghada Elkhoury is among those in the running for this year’s Regional Impact award 👏 💙 #MakingKUproud
Congratulations to Dr Jake Milner of Teesside, winner of the DTA Alumni Award!
Jake represented the @UA_DT during our parliamentary event in Westminster and has delivered training to support fellow doctoral researchers.
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👏 The Regional Impact Award goes to ARU Peterborough
ARU Peterborough is driving skills, opportunity and economic growth through programmes that support learners, businesses and employers across the region.
Huge congrats to our joint winners of the Research Comms Award: Polly Wyatt from University of Brighton and Professor Michael Sweet from our hosts University of Derby
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🏆 Congratulations to Professor Marcos Kauffman, winner of the Industry Partnerships Award!
Through his leadership of Coventry University's role in the #CleanFutures Accelerator, Marcos has helped support 39 SMEs and attract £129.6m in co-investment.
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🌟 Our first Alliance Award of the evening goes to Sanaa Kazi of University of West London, winner of the Student Leadership and Enterprise Award!
Sanaa spotted a gap in the student experience and created a real-world business competition for students.
🎥Watch below from Vice-Chancellors across our membership on what it means to be part of University Alliance.
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Today we launch our new strategy for 2035: First for Students, First for Employers which sets out our vision for professional and technical universities to drive high-level skills, employer partnerships and economic growth.
🔗Read our strategy here: bit.ly/3SpE0mF
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