St Mary’s University Named Finalist at Times Higher Education Awards

St Mary’s University, London has been shortlisted in three different categories for the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards 2026.

The awards are an annual event that celebrates exceptional work, innovation, and achievements in UK and Irish universities.

St Mary’s University is a finalist for the categories ‘International Collaboration of the Year’, ‘Outstanding Marketing and Communications Team’, and ‘Outstanding Estates Team’.

The nomination for ‘International Collaboration of the Year’ is for the partnership between St Mary's University and the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE). The partnership demonstrates how international collaboration can drive institutional transformation through genuine reciprocity.

The partnership began as a postgraduate initiative and has since evolved into a strategic alliance spanning postgraduate education, doctoral study, research collaboration, and academic development. Since 2023, more than 200 educators have engaged with programmes across the partnership, while five MIE academics are currently studying on the Professional Doctorate in Education at St Mary’s.

The nomination for ‘Outstanding Estates Team’ reflects how the Estates team have been redefining the role of estates in higher education through a distinctive model of co-creation, community, and integration with the academic mission. The team has transformed the estate from a collection of buildings into a student-centred ecosystem of spaces that support learning, wellbeing, and belonging.

Students are active partners in estate development, contributing directly to the design and delivery of projects. This approach has delivered innovative spaces such as the Living Room and The 1850. The team has also reduced carbon emissions by 15% in a single year and safeguarded a complex heritage estate.

The Marketing and Communications team have been shortlisted for their work on a unified brand framework across recruitment, communications, and student experience. This approach has had a measurable impact on the University, with the team strengthening institutional coherence, improving student engagement across the lifecycle, and delivering reputational improvements.

Speaking on this announcement Deputy Vice-Chancellor Jo Blunden said, “Everyone at St Mary's is incredibly proud of our School of Education, Estates, and Marketing and Communications teams for being shortlisted for awards at the 2026 Times Higher Education awards. Their work is a fantastic example of how innovation, collaboration, and agility can have a real impact on the wider University community. At St Mary’s, we celebrate collaboration and taking a values driven approach. These teams are all great examples of that, and this sector recognition is a brilliant endorsement of our approach.”

All winners will be announced at the Times Higher Education Awards Ceremony taking place on Thursday 26 November in Birmingham.