Keele University’s Professor Zoe Robinson has been recognised as one of the most innovative educators in the UK, as a runner-up in the ‘Most Innovative Teacher of the Year’ at the prestigious Times Higher Education Awards 2019. 

Professor Robinson has been recognised for her pioneering work in education for sustainability, and the far-reaching impact that her teaching innovations have had not just for students and colleagues at Keele University, but also the Higher Education sector and society as a whole. 

Professor Robinson - who is Director of Education for Sustainability at Keele University - is a unique educator, researcher and practitioner in sustainability, pioneering impactful teaching innovations at every level. She has catalysed a culture change in sustainability education at Keele, integrating sustainability into all aspects of the curriculum and wider student experience.  

Speaking about her nomination, Professor Robinson commented: 

"I feel really honoured to have been shortlisted for this prestigious national award, and to have been recognised for my passion in working with students and staff to embed sustainability into all that we do at Keele and beyond. I want to ensure that our students leave university ready to make sustainable decisions in their personal and professional lives, having had the opportunity to explore sustainability through their courses and wider university experiences. I hope that having been shortlisted will help highlight the essential role of education in building a more sustainable future.”   

In the past year, Professor Robinson has also been recognised internationally for her sustainability vision, as part of the winning ‘Outstanding Leadership Team of the Year’ at the Green Gown Awards 2018, and her work was also instrumental in Keele being in the Top 30 in Europe in the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2019, mapped against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. 

Professor Trevor McMillan, Vice-Chancellor at Keele University, commented:

“We are really proud of Zoe’s continued efforts and achievements in sustainability education, and her innovative approaches to teaching, which benefit so many. She has been instrumental in driving forward our sustainability vision, and aligning our activities to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainability is one of our core strategic aims, and our key message to all staff and students is to embed sustainability in everything we do.

"I’m delighted that Zoe’s work is being recognised in our 70th year of making a difference regionally, nationally and internationally, as we continue to support the development of our world in a sustainable way through our excellence in research and education and our external engagement.”

Rafe Hallett, Director of Keele's Institute for Innovation and Teaching Excellence, added:

"Zoe's career has demonstrated a rare, dual ability to build groundbreaking programmes of teaching and produce evaluation and scholarship that has shifted the parameters of Education for Sustainability. It is this hybrid of pragmatic expertise and pedagogic reflection that we aim to instil across Keele's Educational community."

Read more about Professor Robinson’s nomination on the THE Awards website.