The THE Awards have, for almost two decades, tracked the exceptional achievements of our universities – surely these islands’ greatest asset. This year, the shortlists and winners reflect a particular moment in time, the 2020-21 academic year, when universities were coming to terms with and continuing to respond to the changed circumstances imposed by the pandemic. As such, it is inevitable that those heroic efforts related to the Covid crisis are represented, but what is perhaps more striking is how rich and diverse the entries to this year’s awards were, how focused on the core missions of universities to deliver world-changing research, life-changing teaching, and all the other ways in which they engage and support communities, regions and countries.

There is little sense in these submissions, and in the winners detailed in this publication, that these were universities struggling through such exceptional times. Instead, the picture that is painted is of a sector that has risen to the occasion with skill and confidence, and refused to be pushed off course. That is as impressive as the Covid-specific initiatives and interventions that also characterised this unusual academic year.

Congratulations again to all of our winners, and to all of those shortlisted.

– John Gill, editor, THE

The winners were announced on 17 November 2022, view the photos of the ceremony in our Flickr album .

Below are the shortlisted and winning entries, and here you will find an e-book profiling all the winners .

Watch the highlights video