Times Higher Education (THE) has won the most prestigious award for UK businesses, the King’s Awards for Enterprise.
THE, which has demonstrated rapid growth as a global provider of higher education data, insights and services, secured the award in the international trade category.
It is one of only 252 organisations in the UK to be recognised by the royal initiative, now in its 58th year, which was established by HM Queen Elizabeth to recognise outstanding UK businesses.
THE’s growth reflects its successful transition into a global higher education business, working with universities, organisations and governments across the world. It now has over 700 customers in 85 countries.
Building on its 50-year history as a trusted source of news and information about the sector, THE’s portfolio of offerings includes university rankings, data products, global events and consultancy, combined with an audience of tens of millions of academics, students and policymakers.
Among recent innovations is the pioneering THE Impact Rankings, which provide a framework for universities to benchmark their contributions to delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Paul Howarth, THE’s chief executive, said: “Receiving this incredibly prestigious award from the British government and His Majesty King Charles III is an absolute career highlight for me and an amazing seal of approval for the tremendous work Times Higher Education does for one of the world’s most important sectors – higher education.
“Since joining the business in 2020 I have been so impressed by the incredible hard work our staff, not just in the UK but around the world, put in to enable higher education to reach its full potential and I believe that together we will build a better, more sustainable future.
“We hope this achievement and recognition will open many more opportunities for us to secure new contracts and venture into new markets with universities, governments and the private sector globally.”
THE is owned by leading European private equity firm Inflexion Private Equity, which acquired the business in February 2019 and has been supporting the firm’s global growth.
THE is headquartered in London, with offices in Australia, the US and Singapore.
It has acquired five businesses over the last four years, Poets&Quants (P&Q), Inside Higher Ed, BMI, dataHE, and The Knowledge Partnership, which have advanced its capabilities and expanded its international footprint.
THE’s global rankings include more than 4,900 universities voluntarily participating from 143 countries, making it the most comprehensive and authoritative university ranking system.
The business is engaged in dozens of national excellence initiatives with various governments around the world, including Austria, Hungary, India, Kurdistan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Uzbekistan.
It also works with dozens of leading global brands, supporting their engagement with universities.
His Majesty the King will host a reception for King’s Awards for Enterprise recipients at Windsor Castle.