LJMU wins top business award

23 October 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LJMU received the award in recognition of the University's outstanding performance and competitive business positioning.

Vice Chancellor Professor Michael Brown received the award on behalf of LJMU, which was presented by HRH The Princess Royal, Patron of the British Quality Foundation (BQF), at a ceremony at the Hilton, Park Lane.

The BQF judges stated that LJMU has excelled in its attempts to secure its position as a business of excellence. The University has set itself apart from its competitors in the Higher Education sector, they said, and is committed to self assessment. The jury was particularly impressed by the University's firm approach to its development and praised it for its work in the community.

Joe Goasdoue, Chief Executive of the British Quality Foundation, said: "We've been really pleased with the level of entries this year. With such a variation of companies, from public to private sector, the judging process proved to be a hard decision. As the quality of candidates heightens each year, we are now looking forward to what next year has to offer".

Professor Brown added: "We are delighted to have achieved a UK Excellence Award at our first submission attempt. Business excellence underpins everything that we do and that's why LJMU has been able to evolve into an exciting, forward thinking, commercially-aware university operating at the heart of Liverpool.

"LJMU is the first and only UK university to achieve this level of business excellence and it proves that we are run as a business. This award is real encouragement to all our staff who have been brave enough to adopt a new way of running a university and been prepared to challenge the status quo."

Prior to this award, the University achieved the 'Investors in Excellence' standard in 2006 and was one of only a few universities to be highlighted in the Lambert Report (2005) for its successful interaction with the commercial sector.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unlike many business awards, the assessment process for the UK Excellence Award is both rigorous and 'in-depth'. Applicants must first pre-qualify for entry by demonstrating acceptable levels of performance to the BQF. They must then submit a detailed application and receive an intensive site visit from a team of up to six highly trained and experienced assessors lasting up to five days.

The reports arising from all applicant site visits are then considered by a distinguished and independent jury before finalists and eventual award winners are agreed and announced. Even then, the standards are so high that in some years there are no winners in some categories, as Paul Evans explained: "This is a genuine 'best of the best' competition; not just a pat on the back from your peers."

Pictures:

• HRH The Princess Royal, Patron of the British Quality Foundation (BQF) presents the award to LJMU Vice Chancellor, Professor Michael Brown. © SykesPhotographic.com

   The Vice Chancellor and Paul Evans, LJMU's Director of Business Excellence.

• The BQF trophy.