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º£½ÇÖ±²¥ in the running for more awards

We're in the running for yet more awards following our success in being named University of the Year and winning the Outstanding Employer Engagement Initiative Award in the Times Higher Education awards.

For two graduates involved with Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) led by º£½ÇÖ±²¥ academics have been shortlisted for this year’s Business Leader of Tomorrow Awards. The shortlisted KTP Associates are Sara Zarei, who graduated with distinction from º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™s MSc Computer Aided Engineering. She is currently doing her PhD while working as a KTP Associate (Manufacturing Systems Engineer) with Stanley Vickers in Middlesbrough under the supervision of º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™s Professor of Biomechanics and Manufacturing, Farhad Nabhani.

Sara said: 'The KTP project has by far exceeded all expectations and provided me with essential industrial experience alongside a great opportunity to study for a PhD relating to its work. I am delighted to be shortlisted for this award as it is a great accolade to the work undertaken over the past year.' Professor Nabhani said: 'I’m also delighted that Sara has been shortlisted for the Business Leader of Tomorrow award. It is great that all of our hard work has paid off. The upgrade of a vital piece of machinery really stressed the importance of the KTP project to Stanley Vickers and Sara’s own personal development has benefitted from the experience of working on the project with the company.'

Also shortlisted is Alex Brown, who gained, MA in Sustainable Product Design, Loughborough University. He has been working as a KTP Associate with Solo Cup Europe in Huntington under the supervision of Peter Reid, a Senior Lecturer in Product Design and Enterprise at º£½ÇÖ±²¥.

Peter Reid said 'This is great recognition of the work Alex is doing and the leadership he has shown in developing innovation within the company. The project is already adding value for both the company, its new product development programme and for the University. I wish Alex the best of luck for his presentation on 26 November.'

The winners should be revealed in early December and the Awards presentation night takes place on Wednesday 10 March 2010 at the Marriott Grosvenor, London.

Note

º£½ÇÖ±²¥ was graded ‘A ‘ for Excellent’ for its Stockton Casting Company KTP earlier this year and the University is seen as a national leader in utilising the KTP scheme to assist companies implement new technologies and continuous improvement procedures.

We have won Business Leaders of Tomorrow Award twice before with KTP Associates. In 2006, Laura Bishop, a graduate from the University’s BA (Hons) Marketing and MSc Management degrees, won the award for her work in helping Country Valley Foods, Darlington, carry out a major re-branding exercise. A year later, Mohammed Shahnawazuddin, was also named a Business Leader of Tomorrow for his work with Malcolm Engineering Company of Darlington.

The Partnerships received financial support from the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships programme (KTP). KTP aims to help businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills that reside within the UK Knowledge Base. KTP is funded by the Technology Strategy Board along with the other government funding organisations.

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