A special mention must go to our University of the Year for 2008, the University of Leicester, for being third time lucky, having been nominated previously in 2005 and 2006, as well as the very worthy recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Peter Hennessy, Attlee professor of contemporary British history at Queen Mary, University of London. Professor Philip Ogden, acting principal of Queen Mary, University of London, said: “This award is recognition of Peter Hennessy’s outstanding and unique achievement in bringing Whitehall and academia together to their mutual benefit over a period of many years. Only he could do this. Queen Mary is hugely proud of Peter and his colleagues in the Mile End Group and its parent organisation, the Mile End Institute (for the Study of Government, Intelligence and Society).”
We also thank all our sponsors, the judges and everyone involved in making the Times Higher Education Awards 2008 a fitting tribute to the very best of UK academy.