De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has been shortlisted for University of the Year at the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards 2026.

The award celebrates institutions that have demonstrated exceptional achievement and innovation across the higher education sector.

DMU's nomination reflects the impact of its Empowering University strategy, which has seen the university radically change its teaching model to a ‘block’ format and expand successfully into new international markets.

Professor Katie Normington, Vice-Chancellor of DMU, said: “To be shortlisted for University of the Year is a huge recognition of the ambitious, student-centred work our whole community has driven forward together.

“As we move into a new academic year, this nomination is a real boost for everyone at DMU, a demonstration that transformation on this scale is possible.

“I couldn't be prouder of what our staff and students have achieved together.”

The nomination recognises the work undertaken as part of DMU’s Empowerment University strategy, launched in 2021 and co-created with more than 1,000 staff, students and partners to redesign the university around the realities of modern student life.

As part of the strategy, DMU became the first UK university to move its undergraduate programmes to block teaching, redesigning 113 programmes – 73% of its portfolio – in just 11 months. The model, in which students study one module rather than several at once, was designed to give commuter students balancing work and caring responsibilities greater flexibility, while anticipating shifts in lifelong learning policy.

More than 40 other universities have since drawn on DMU's experience.

Professor Normington said: “The shift to block teaching was one of the biggest teaching changes undertaken by a UK university and it took an immense effort to manage smoothly.

“So, this nomination is really down to the efforts of our staff and the courage they showed to make such a big change.” 

The graduate class of 2024-25 were the first to complete their studies, having been entirely taught under the block structure, with early results bearing out the strategy: student pass rates rose 4%, continuation improved by more than 9%, and National Student Survey scores climbed by 10-20% in key areas.

Students also needed 28% fewer support appointments than before the change, while staff engagement scores rose from 65% to 73% between 2022 and 2025.

 During the same time, DMU also became the first UK university to open campuses in Cambodia and Kazakhstan, taking higher education to regions with growing youth populations and limited local access to it, and is now ranked among the UK's top 10 providers of transnational education.

The nomination caps a strong year for DMU across the league tables: a 20-place rise in the Daily Mail University Guide 2027 (one of the biggest in the UK, with Dance ranked number one nationally), 10th in the UK for Artificial Intelligence in the Shanghai Global Rankings, and 12th globally for peace and justice in the 2026 THE Impact Rankings. Student-voted awards have seen DMU climbing 18 places to 17th nationally in the 2026 WhatUni Student Choice Awards and 23 places into the UK's top 20 in the 2027 Uni Compare rankings, including a top 10 finish for employability.

Chris Havergal, editor of Times Higher Education, said: “These continue to be challenging times for our higher education sectors, but that makes it only more important to celebrate the contribution of the teams and individuals who continue to transform lives for the better, week in, week out, across the UK and Ireland.

“To have again received more than 500 entries is a sure sign that our sectors’ commitment to improving the societies they serve is undimmed, and we offer our sincere congratulations to all the institutions and individuals shortlisted. It is a huge achievement to have reached this stage in another very competitive year.

“Too often the outstanding endeavours of academics and higher education professionals are overlooked in the public narrative about our universities. We hope that our awards ceremony in Birmingham this November will contribute towards changing the conversation about these vital institutions and the people who work in them.”

The winners of the THE Awards 2026 will be announced at a ceremony in Birmingham this November.

Posted on Thursday 3 September 2026