Harper Life 2019 - Alumni Magazine

2019: A year of success MARCH 2019: CARAS AWARDS TO ALUMNI AND V-C The Council for Awards of Royal Agricultural Societies (CARAS) presented awards to former Principal Lecturer, Charles Cowap, alumna, livestock sustainability consultant and 2018 Farmers Guardian ‘Farming Hero’ award winner, Dr Jude Capper and alumnus and Chief Executive of Fram Farmers, Richard Anscombe. New fellows included Honorary Degree holder and former AHDB Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Crute and the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Dr David Llewellyn. The Awards embrace not only practical farming and the development of new husbandry practices, but also research, technology, economics, education, farming care, communication and administration. A Fellowship (FRAgS) or Associateship (ARAgS) is recognition of an outstanding contribution by an individual to the understanding, efficiency and well- being of agriculture. To date, over 1,200 individuals have been recognised and there are currently over 800 Fellows and over 350 Associates. MARCH 2019: WORLD-LEADING REPUTATION The 2019 QS World University Subject Rankings, published recently, listed institutions across four key indicators of performance. The Agriculture and Forestry table demonstrated that Harper Adams University continues to excel in the area of employer reputation. In two of the indicators, based on research citations, the University made significant gains in performance. For an institution focussed on applied research this is a positive step and one on which the University will continue to build. In the measure of employer reputation, however, the University was, for the second time in two years, placed first in the UK and second in the world. The employer reputation indicator, based on survey responses from employers around the globe, clearly demonstrates the way in which the University works with industry to positive effect – from joint research projects to student industry placements and from knowledge exchange activities such as industry short courses to the scholarship support for our students generously provided by a large number of companies. APRIL 2019: TOP FOR JOB PROSPECTS AND STUDENT SUPPORT Harper Adams University continued its dominance in the Job Prospects and Student Support categories at the Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs) which were held in London last night (25 April). The awards are voted for by students; creating the only awards scheme based entirely on the opinions of those attending higher education institutions across the UK. Harper Adams has now taken the Student Support title five years running; making it the only university to have won the award since it was launched. It was also the fourth consecutive year that the University has been rated top for job prospects; highlighting the strong links it has cultivated between academia and industry. MAY 2019: HIGHEST CLIMBER IN COMPLETE UNIVERSITY GUIDE 2020 Harper Adams University was revealed as one of the highest climbers in the Complete University Guide national league table – jumping from 48th to 27th place. The university had already made significant strides in recent years, advancing from 84th to 60th to 48th in the league table of 131 higher education institutions. The 2020 position also makes Harper Adams the third highest ranked university in the West Midlands, with Birmingham and Warwick in first and second respectively.