Inspiring leadership

Guardian Higher Education Awards - Inspiring Leader

In 2013, our Vice-Chancellor Professor Bob Cryan, was named Inspiring Leader at the inaugural Higher Education Awards launched by The Guardian newspaper.

Professor Cryan was selected from a shortlist of eight leading figures across the sector and took more than a third of the votes cast on the Guardian’s website. Professor Cryan has made a huge impact at Huddersfield since he became Vice-Chancellor in 2007. Professor Cryan’s financial stewardship was identified as ‘exemplary’ as he had taken ‘the university out of debt whilst embarking on £100m of visionary developments without borrowing.’

Major transformation

Professor Cryan has led major developments at the University with the citation stating that ‘Under Bob’s inspirational leadership, Huddersfield has undergone a major transformation resulting in a tripling of postgraduate and international students and moving up 47 places in the Guardian League Table.’

Huddersfield graduate

Professor Cryan is a graduate of the University of Huddersfield and holds five degrees including an MBA and two doctorates. He strongly believes that teaching should be underpinned by research and is an active researcher who has co-authored over 200 publications.

Bob is extremely proud of the University and the town of Huddersfield and continues to drive the University’s mission to be an inspiring and innovative University of international renown.

Read more about the Inspiring Leader award.

Educate North Awards – Leadership Award

At the inaugural Educate North Awards, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bob Cryan CBE, won the Leadership Award. A panel of more than 20 leading figures from the fields of education, business and politics selected the winners, who were announced at a ceremony in Manchester.

Professor Cryan - who was present at the event - said that he was delighted by this personal victory and by the title bestowed on the University of Huddersfield. “We’ve won a lot of awards in recent years, but the excitement and the pride never fades. Every prize like this is a tribute to the hard work of our staff and students in making sure that our University continues to make remarkable progress”.

Read more about the Leadership Award.

Times Higher Education Awards - Outstanding Contribution to Leadership Development

In November 2015, the University won the Outstanding Contribution to Leadership Development award at the Times Higher Education Awards, held in association with Santander Universities. The awards, now in their eleventh year, are widely recognised as the Oscars of the higher education sector, shining a spotlight on the outstanding achievements of institutions, teams and individuals in the UK higher education sector.

The Huddersfield Academy of Leadership and Management was introduced with the aim of securing “truly transformational leadership at all levels in the university”. Leaders and managers were enrolled in the academy – piloted in 2013-14 – to help them develop the confidence and skill set to become truly effective leaders.

Under the scheme, participants received coaching and mentoring, psychometric assessment and feedback from their colleagues and managers, as well as keeping a reflective learning log. They were also given support to achieve formal qualifications and took part in workshops and master-classes on leadership.

Read more about the Outstanding Contribution to Leadership Development award.