ARU previously won the title of THE Entrepreneurial University of the Year in 2014, and has been shortlisted alongside five other UK Higher Education Institutions for the 2021 awards, which will be announced on 25 November.
Paul Driver (pictured), who is now Director of Simulated Learning at ARU, won awards in his previous role as Senior Learning Technologist for his innovative teaching, authorship of educational resources, and use of virtual reality to provide realistic and safe scenarios for teaching health, social care and education students.
In 2018, Paul won the Learning Technologist of the Year award from the Association for Learning Technologists.
Professor Roderick Watkins, Vice Chancellor of ARU, said: “Our mission is to transform lives through innovative, inclusive and entrepreneurial education and research, and I am therefore delighted that we have been shortlisted for the award of Outstanding Entrepreneurial University.
“Our excellent staff embody these values every day, and I am particularly delighted that the outstanding work of Paul Driver, providing immersive and realistic training scenarios for our students, has also been recognised.”
The THE Awards are considered to be the “Oscars of higher education”. The final will take place at the Hilton London Metropole Hotel, subject to Government guidelines around Covid-19. Winners will be decided by a panel of expert judges.