Education North Awards 2026: Double triumph for the University of Huddersfield
The University of Huddersfield has triumphed at the Education North Awards 2026, winning two awards - the Business Engagement Award for the Institute of Railway Research and PhD Student Achievement of the Year for Rand Abdulhussain in the School of Applied Sciences.
The Awards, which are in their 12th year, highlighted excellence, world-class achievements and improvement across the University, HE, FE and Sixth Form sectors in the North of England.
Business Engagement Award – University Sector
The Institute of Railway Research (IRR) is an internationally renowned railway systems research and development group based at the University. Its broad business-facing research capability spans micro-SMEs to some of the industry's largest companies, with work ranging from applied mathematical modelling, through data science, to testing and systems engineering.
The long-term nature of its collaborations has enabled £16m of investment in a range of unique, world-class testing facilities. In addition, the IRR’s sector-wide business engagement has delivered over £3m of project activity with industrial partners and railway stakeholders over the past 12 months.
Professor Paul Allen, Director of the IRR, commented: “I am hugely proud of the IRR team in receiving the ENA’s award for Business Engagement. The award recognises the Institute and University’s outstanding achievements in developing novel business engagement initiatives. The resulting partnerships have facilitated the delivery of highly valued and impactful applied research projects and provided an exemplar as to how academia can deliver a business-facing research unit.”
PhD Student Achievement of the Year
Rand Abdulhussain is an outstanding PhD student in Pharmaceutical Sciences within the School of Applied Sciences. Her current research aims to transform how medicines are delivered through the skin by integrating advanced transdermal drug delivery systems with real‑time UV imaging. She combines her passion for pharmaceutical sciences with a strong commitment to teaching, leadership and outreach activities.
Her academic ability is proven with high-impact publications, multiple awards and research that addresses real-world challenges. In addition to helping to shape the future of pharmaceutical sciences and improving the lives of patients, she is also a positive role model for other students.
Miss Abdulhussain commented: “This award is deeply meaningful to me, as it represents a journey that began during my undergraduate studies, where I was first inspired to pursue research and understand its real‑world impact. That passion led me through my Master’s degree, where achieving a distinction and receiving the Vice‑Chancellor’s Scholarship enabled me to further nurture my research skills and broaden the impact of my work.
"I am profoundly grateful to my supervisor, Dr Kofi Asare‑Addo, for his unwavering support, guidance, and belief in my potential throughout my PhD journey. This recognition not only affirms the significance of the research we are doing at the University of Huddersfield, but also motivates us to continue striving for more impactful and innovative contributions to our field.”
The University was also shortlisted at the Education North Awards 2026 in the following categories: Business School of the Year, Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Initiative Award for its Practical Science Outreach sessions, Sustainable Green Initiative for its Sustainability Champions Scheme and Community Engagement Award – University Sector for Holocaust Centre North.
The ceremony, which was attended by 700 education professionals, was held on 7 May in Manchester with more than 30 awards handed out on the night.