Triple Crown for Welsh Universities
27 March 2012
Welsh Higher Education Institutions beat off competition from across the UK to win three out of four awards given by the Universities Association for Lifelong Learning (UALL) - the national body which represents part-time education in universities.
Cardiff University was one of the institutions that celebrated their success at the UALL award evening on 19th March.
It was the new Exploring the Past programme, a joint project of the Centre for Lifelong Learning and the School of History, Archaeology and Religion that brings learners of all ages into History degrees via Lifelong Learning courses that scooped a prize.
Dr Richard Evans, Dean of Lifelong Learning who accepted the prize for Cardiff University, said: “Wales is outperforming the other UK nations in these Awards but why not when we we've just won the Grand Slam! The important thing is that the people of Wales benefit from the work their universities do”.
Dr David Wyatt, Founder of the Exploring the Past Pathway, said: “This is an amazing achievement for all those involved with the Pathway. Exploring the Past provides life changing opportunities for adult learners to undertake degrees in history, archaeology and religion at Cardiff. Many of our students begin with little previous academic experience and face significant barriers to education. Exploring the Past provides an opportunity for them to study and progress in a nurturing and supportive environment designed for mature students. Indeed, the imperative to create a positive impact on our students’ lives is one of the driving motivations of the Pathway - I’d like to thank UALL for recognising this through bestowing this prestigious award.”
Dr S Oosthuizen, Vice-Chair of UALL, said: "The range of and quality of these projects shows how vibrant lifelong learning is in Welsh universities. They are a tribute to the innovation and dedication of the staff who work with students from all walks of life, but especially from non-traditional groups."
The overall winner was the Open University in Wales for their work to help those with care responsibilities at home study toward a degree.
The University of Wales Trinity St David's Foundation Degree for oil-refinery workers which puts work-based learning at the centre of their study was also successful.
This year's success comes on top of Swansea University's award in 2011.