The Educate North Awards 2015: winners, pictures and a review of the night

Jump straight to the winners here
Over 200 people from across the UK attended the inaugural Educate North Awards last week and judging by the excellent feedback, the Awards have announced their arrival as a valuable and innovative new contribution with aplomb.
An initiative that was established to recognise the huge economic and social and contribution that the HE and FE sectors add to the North, was clearly very warmly welcomed and embraced and the timing of the initiative, in the midst of the growing confidence and optimism fuelled by the "Northern Powerhouse" was perfect.
Given that over 160,000 people are directly employed by universities alone across the North of England with annual capex budgets of billions and exports of HE services currently running at £12 billion, the challenges and growing opportunities that lie ahead for the sector, are deserving of an initiative which is anchored in the North and duly celebrates achievements in the North.
The three organising partners (Carm Productions, Don't Panic and Prolific North) would like to thank our outstanding panel of judges for their time and also our event partners without whom this exciting new initiative could not have taken place.
Educate North was staged in association with The Daily Telegraph and Barclays, the University of Manchester Intellectual Property UMIP, the businessman John Kennedy OBE and Liverpool and Sefton Chambers of Commerce.

Educate North Awards 2015: the shortlist and winners

Student Experience Award
- Learning Curve Group
- Newcastle College/HE Directorate – Embedding Undergraduate Research Within College-based Higher Education
- Royal Northern College of Music
- University of Chester Student Support and Guidance
- University of Cumbria - English Team
- University of Liverpool's Central Teaching Laboratories
Highly Commended: Learning Curve Group
Winner: University of Liverpool’s Central Teaching Laboratories

Access Award
- Newcastle College - Learning Support Service
- University of Cumbria - Get it Right Career Planner
Winner: Newcastle College – Learning Support Service

Commercial Engagement Award
Winner: Lancaster University

Student Union of the Year
- Calderdale College Student Union
- University of Chester - Chester Students' Union
- University of Liverpool - Liverpool Guild of Students
Winner: University of Chester – Chester Students’ Union

Employer Engagement Award
- Leeds City College - Employee Responsive Initiative
- M&S Company Archive - University of Leeds Partnership Tea
- MPloy Solutions Ltd
- Shipley College Centre of Excellence for Business
Winner:- M&S Company Archive – University of Leeds Partnership Team

Environment Award
- Edge Hill University Capital Developments: Environmental Initiatives
- University of Chester Sustainability Unit
Winner: University of Chester Sustainability Unit

Research Team of the Year
- Liverpool John Moores University - Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences (RISES)
- University of Hull - Environmental and Evolutionary Genomics Research Group
Winner: Liverpool John Moores University – Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences (RISES)

Research Project of the Year
- University of Chester - Standing Desks
- University of Huddersfield - Extended Play
Winner: University of Chester – Standing Desks

Innovation Award
- Barnsley College - iTrust
- Learning Curve Group
- University of Central Lancashire - Lancashire Science Festival
Winner: Barnsley College - iTrust

Academic Co-operation Award
Winner: University of Hull Federation of Colleges

Leadership Award
Winner: Professor Bob Cryan – University of Huddersfield

Specialist Institute of the Year
Winner: University of Liverpool – The Institute of Infection and Global Health

Lecturer of the Year
- Toni Bewley, Edge Hill University
- Dr Neil Pickles, University of Chester
- Roger Styan, Craven College
- Professor Vini Lander, Edge Hill University
Winner: Dr Neil Pickles, University of Chester

Business School of the Year
- Edge Hill Business School
- University of Liverpool Management School
Winner: University of Liverpool Management School

Further Education College/Sixth Form of the Year
- Bishop Auckland College (South West Durham Training)
- Newcastle College
- Winstanley College
Winner: Newcastle College

New University of the Year
- Edge Hill University
- University of Chester
- University of Huddersfield
Winner:
- University of Huddersfield

University of the Year
- Lancaster University
- Newcastle University
- University of York
Winner: University of York