The University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland has enjoyed success at the prestigious Times Higher Education awards for the third consecutive year, after being named Entrepreneurial University of the Year last night (Thursday 28 November).

The award was made in recognition of the outstanding culture of entrepreneurship fostered at the University through education, research, mentoring and partnership programmes.

Entrepreneurial activity at Strathclyde includes:

·The Strathclyde Entrepreneurial Network, which supports staff and students seeking to create new ventures;

·Entrepreneurial skills development programme for undergraduates and postgraduates, run by students for students;

·Strathclyde 100, anetwork of entrepreneurial alumni and businesses supporting emerging Strathclyde entrepreneurs, which marked its 10thanniversary in 2013by launching a Dubai chapter to build an entrepreneurial community for alumni in the United Arab Emirates.

The award follows Strathclyde’s wins of the 2012 UK University of the Year award and the 2011 Research Project of the Year award. The University was also highly commended in this year’s Outstanding Contribution to Innovation and Technology category for ‘Hemosep’, a pioneering blood salvage technology for use in life-saving operations.

University of Strathclyde Principal Professor Sir Jim McDonald said: “This is a magnificent achievement for the University. Winning one award is a great success in itself but awards in three consecutive years are a testament to the quality and quantity of work by everyone at Strathclyde.

“An entrepreneurial spirit permeates our activity and our distinctiveness as an entrepreneurial university is rooted in our vision and strategy. By cultivating this spirit in our students, we are laying the foundations for future prosperity and nurturing future generations of leaders and successful businessmen and women. Entrepreneurship is one of the key parts of our mission as a leading international technological institution.”

The University of Strathclyde has created more than50 spin-out companies, making annual sales of £80 million and employing more than 700 people. It has also created 84 student or alumni companies, employing 200 people.

Strathclyde’sHunter Centre for Entrepreneurship is integral to a new Enterprise Research Centre influencing UK policy, helping SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) achieve growth and encouraging start-ups. The University also recently hosted the biennial Strathclyde Enterprise Awards, which showcase established entrepreneurs and recognise and reward the best emerging talent.

The Times Higher Education Entrepreneurial University of the Year award is made to universities which have “developed an environment and culture that fosters enterprising attitudes among all members of its community and delivers significant entrepreneurial impact at regional, national and international levels.”

It is made based on criteria of: vision and strategy; culture and mindset; entrepreneurial impact, and policy and practice.

Source : Lokesh Shastri