Latest news from Loughborough University
| 19 February 2003 | PR 03/08 |
Her Majesty The Queen presents Loughborough University with its fourth Queen’s Anniversary Prize
World leading role in sports development, education and research honoured
Her Majesty The Queen today
(Wednesday 19 February) presented Loughborough University with a Queen’s
Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education 2002. The award was
bestowed on the University in recognition of its position as the country’s
premier institution for sports development, and its world leading role
in sports research and education. It is the fourth time Loughborough has
captured one of the prestigious awards, which are awarded biennially in
recognition of outstanding educational achievement in areas of service
and benefit to the nation.
Loughborough University has
an international reputation for its pioneering research and education
in sports science, physical education, and health-related physical activity.
Its pivotal position is enhanced by strengths in supporting coaching,
elite performance and wider range sports participation, and is reinforced
with an extensive network of partnerships with industrial companies, external
agencies and major sports bodies, many located on campus. Loughborough
has been selected as a National Network Centre for the English Institute
of Sport and major investment is enabling the University to build additional
world class facilities for a wide range of sports.
Of the award, Professor Stuart Biddle, Head of the University’s School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, said, “This award is due recognition of the wider Loughborough sport experience over the past sixty years or so. While credit must be given to our current excellent staff, students and partner organisations, much credit must also be given to those who built, sustained and developed what is now the leading University in the world for the integration of sport development, education and research. Many of these people hold leadership positions in academia, some having made seminal contributions to knowledge, or are leaders in national and international sport-related organisations.”
Rod Thorpe, Director of the
University’s Sports Development Centre, added, “Whilst inevitably
different components of our work are judged separately, through the research
assessment exercise, teaching assessment, sport performance and participation,
and our work with many partners, it is really pleasing that such a prestigious
award recognises the value of the inter-dependence of these parts."
Also attending the presentation
were University Chancellor Sir Denis Rooke, Vice Chancellor Professor
David Wallace, Clyde Williams – Professor of Sport and Exercise Sciences,
Athletic Union President Radha Balani, and students Ross Weir, Jodie Swallow,
David Broome and Richard Hung-Yu Liu.
Loughborough has been outstandingly
successful in the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes scheme, gaining four
awards – an achievement bettered by no other institution. The University
received its first award in 1994 for its partnerships with the aerospace
industry, particularly Rolls-Royce and BAE SYSTEMS. Its second award was
received in 1998, in recognition of the Institute of Development Engineering’s
unique service to developing countries, providing and managing sustainable
infrastructure. Loughborough gained its third award in 2000, in recognition
of the Optical Engineering Group’s pioneering role in developing
applications of modern optics and laser technologies to find practical
solutions to real-world problems.
– Ends –
For further information
contact:
-
Professor Stuart Biddle, Head of the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences,
T: 01509 226311
-
Rod Thorpe, Director of Sports Development, T: 01509 226100
-
Hannah Baldwin, Head of PR, T: 01509 222239, E: H.E.Baldwin@lboro.ac.uk
Notes to editors
Loughborough has an established reputation for excellence in teaching and research, strong links with industry, and unrivalled sporting achievement. Assessments of teaching quality by the Quality Assurance Agency place Loughborough in the top flight of UK universities, and industry highlights Loughborough in its top five for graduate recruitment. Around 30% of the University’s income is for research. The University has been awarded four Queen’s Anniversary Prizes: for its collaboration with aerospace and automotive companies such as BAE Systems, Ford and Rolls Royce; for its work in developing countries; for pioneering research in optical engineering; and for its world-leading role in sports research, education and development.