Chester Business School triumphs at prestigious THE Awards 2024

Chester Business School (CBS) was crowned Business School of the Year at the ICC in Birmingham on Thursday, November 28, as the ‘Oscars of higher education’, hosted by Miles Jupp, celebrated its 20th birthday. 

It was a night to remember for the University, with the Library team finalists in the Outstanding Library Team of the Year category. 

Congratulations also went to the University's Faculty of Health, Medicine and Society for reaching the final of this year's Nursing Times Workforce Summit and Awards.  

CBS earned the top award for committing itself to bolstering the north-west of England by helping to support a high-growth, low-carbon economy and nurturing future talent for the NHS. It participated in three major industrial decarbonisation projects seeking to reshape Cheshire’s manufacturing economy, which produces more than a quarter of the north-west’s total carbon output and supports 73,000 jobs. This culminated in the launch of a study on the skills needed for the industrial decarbonisation supply chain, which has influenced national government thinking in this space.  

CBS also designed and manages the UK’s definitive healthcare practice placement tool, funded by Health Education England, which engaged more than 90,000 university users in 2022-23 – a record high – plus more than 160,000 NHS and healthcare professionals.  

Throughout the year, CBS completed the delivery of funded projects with small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) worth £34.7 million, supporting 1,632 SMEs, 62 budding entrepreneurs and 131 pre-start-up businesses. This helped create more than 900 projects for students.

Judges commended Chester for “its focus on its net zero ambitions through collaboration on three large-scale industrial decarbonisation challenges in the north-west and also for its work with Health Education England, which involved engagement with the largest cohort of future healthcare professionals to realise efficiencies in the development of skills and practice development for the NHS”.

Additionally, the University of Chester’s Library team was named as finalists in the Outstanding Library Team of the Year category among impressive competition.

Supporting the University’s strategy to enhance the student experience, the Library team collaborated with students through the University’s ‘students as partners’ initiative to create a decolonising and diversifying toolkit for reading lists.

The team worked together focusing on four objectives: conducting a literature review and research on information and toolkits created by other Universities; an audit of a select group of internal reading lists to gain an enhanced understanding of the authors and voices being represented; the creation of the toolkit and a video explaining diversification and decolonisation and how it relates to the library collection. The team has gone on to share their knowledge at external events and work with Faculties to embed the toolkit further within programme delivery.

Professor Kurt Allman, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean, Faculty of Science, Business and Enterprise, said: “I'm delighted that Chester Business School has been recognised by the THE for its outstanding contribution to the NHS's workforce development, a Net Zero and low carbon industrial cluster within the UK's north west, and our commitment to providing an outstanding learning environment to our growing global student community.

“The School's contribution to these agendas has been forged through a compelling vision for our region, and tremendous teamwork both within the University and with organisations that make Cheshire their home.”

Associate Professor Kirstie Simpson, Dean of CBS, added: “I am so proud of the School and my committed colleagues and exceptional students. We continue to work hard to position ourselves as a catalyst for progress in everything we do; through our courses and with our communities, preparing our students for a future in sustainable and responsible business.”

John Gill, THE editor, said: “This anniversary year brought another record number of submissions detailing, as ever, a dazzling array of achievements from institutions, teams and individuals, and demonstrating that even though times are tough, the creativity and energy in UK and Irish universities remains undiminished.

“It is a privilege for THE to have the role it does in celebrating the sector's successes, and on the occasion of our 20th anniversary we thank everyone who entered, and look forward to championing you for years to come.”

Completing a memorable night for the University was the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Society’s Practice Education and Simulated Learning Division. It was named a finalist at the Nursing Times Workforce Summit and Awards in the category of Best Employer for Staff Recognition and Engagement, in a ceremony which brought over 700 professionals from across the health and social care community to highlight nursing’s workforce achievements.

The honour is a result of the work the team has been doing in relation to its Practice Learning Symposium and CAPE awards.