The University of Dundee has been named University of the Year for Student Experience by The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020.
The title confirms that Dundee is one of the best places in the United Kingdom to be a student.
It follows the University being placed 4th in the UK for overall satisfaction in this year’s National Student Survey, while Dundee was also named the Best Place to Live in Scotland by the Sunday Times earlier this year.
Josh Connor, President of Dundee University Students’ Association (DUSA), said, “This award won’t be surprising for anyone who studies at the University of Dundee. We are a community, a family, and that is why our student experience is the best in the UK, because we look out for each other.
“I’m proud of the integral role that DUSA plays in enhancing the student experience. We are in constant communication with the University about what is going well for students, but also what isn’t going well. This partnership of collaboration helps us to achieve the best possible student experience.”
Students said the quality of teaching, strong student representation, the friendly nature of a campus set in the heart of the city, the variety of life offered both on campus and off, and even the weather all contributed to Dundee being a great place to study. And also the opportunity to keep on dancing.
Tomasz Suprun, a 21 year-old Biochemistry student from Poland, said, “I thought I’d have to stop dancing when I moved from Poland but Dundee has allowed me to continue dancing alongside my studies.
“Dundee is like a dance, the city is like learning a new dance style, with new partners in a new environment that fosters creativity and with lots of opportunities to grow.”
Federica Chiti, a 20-year-old from Italy in her third year studying Physics with Astrophysics, said, “What I love about Dundee is that you are not a number, you are a name. The staff are so friendly and they go above and beyond in helping you with your studies.
“When I first came here, I was afraid of the accent but actually I had nothing to fear, everyone is so friendly and when you study here you meet new friends from all over the globe which is amazing because you get to share your culture and passions. Having students from all these different corners of the planet is just amazing, Dundee is like my staircase to the universe.”
Student representation in University matters is very strong at Dundee, through a partnership agreement renewed every year by the University and DUSA. This ensures students are represented at every level of the University’s decision-making structure and are full members of panels for all senior management appointments.
Professor Blair Grubb, Vice-Principal (Education), said, “This award shows that Dundee is one of the best places in the UK to be a student. This is something our students have consistently said in the major surveys of universities, where we are ranked highly in comparison to others in the UK and internationally.
“Our priority is to offer our students the best experience we can, to make them feel welcome, safe and enabled to realise their potential. We do that by working very closely with the Students’ Association and with the support of great staff across the University.”
Alastair McCall, editor of The Sunday Times Good University Guide, said, “The annual National Student Survey is proving to be something of a triumph for the University of Dundee, whose students consistently tell the world how great their university experience is. A highly successful partnership agreement with the Students’ Association commits the University to enhancing student engagement, employability and representation. Dundee delivers and its students revel in that fact.
“There must be something in the water on the east coast of Scotland as Dundee's success as the University of the Year for Student Experience is complemented by St Andrews, just down the road, which has won the overall UK University of the Year title this year.”
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