The University of Buckingham shortlisted twice in Independent Higher Education Awards 2025

We are delighted to announce that The University of Buckingham has been shortlisted twice in the category of ‘Inspiring Course’ in the Independent Higher Education (IHE) Awards.

The IHE Awards are an annual celebration of excellence and innovation, recognising outstanding achievements in higher education provision. The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences has been shortlisted for the Student Selected Component in Clinical Innovation and Enterprise, and our BSc Computing degree has been shortlisted for its Skills and Professional Development module.

Professor Harriet Dunbar-Morris, Pro Vice-Chancellor Academic and Provost, stated:

“It is heartening to see our guiding principles of academic excellence, innovation, and entrepreneurship recognised by the Independent Higher Education Awards panel. Thank you to all who have been involved in these innovative approaches which add so much value to our students’ experience at Buckingham, and congratulations on being shortlisted – a well-deserved recognition of work that is being undertaken in the Faculties of Medicine and Health Science and of Computing, Law and Psychology.”

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Wednesday 26 November 2025.

Student Selected Component (SSC) in Clinical Innovation and Enterprise

The SSC sees third-year MB ChB programme students engage with NHS staff at Stoke Mandeville Hospital to uncover genuine challenges, including ‘hospital operating theatre utilisation’, ‘translating doctors’ letters into language that normal people can understand’ and ‘keeping doctors’ stethoscopes clean’, and how these issues could be addressed.

Over two weeks, the students use Google Ventures Design Sprint to produce a first prototype app, or other solution, to resolve the problem. They learn about the important aspects of marketing, finance, operations and regulations to develop a business plan and slide deck, before pitching their proposed apps to the Buckingham Angels – a panel of doctors, nurses, hospital senior managers, as well as an entrepreneur and a philanthropist.

This forms a collaboration between the University (The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and Buckingham Enterprise and Innovation Unit), Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust’s Research and Innovation Centre, and other external partners. Congratulations to Professor Joanne Selway as well as Professor Nigel Adams, and Honorary Senior Lecturer Ryan Kerstein for their contributions which have been recognised for supporting the need for ‘tomorrow’s doctors’ to develop innovation and enterprise skills.

Skills and Professional Development module

The Skills and Professional Development module runs throughout the duration of the BSc Computing degree. In the first year, sessions focus on personal, academic and transferable skills, and in the second year, sessions focus on commercial and transition skills to aid students in their next professional steps.

The module is designed to educate students into agile future professionals and leaders in their field. It emphasises self-reflection as a tool to aid in the continued development of soft skills and competencies necessary to thrive, while considering factors that continue to reshape the labour market such as Artificial Intelligence.   Students describe how their learning experience offers ‘perspectives on how to be a better professional in the real world and academically’.

Congratulations to Nasir Ibrahim, Lecturer in Computing and Iga Rodriguez Martinez, Careers and Employability Manager for their recognition for the high standards, design and teaching strategies that contribute to the success of the Skills and Professional Development module.