Approved Twenty National Teaching Fellowship Scheme winners received their awards at a gala dinner in London on 12 July Baroness Blackstone, Minister of State for Education and Employment, congratulated the winners on their achievement, and commented that she welcomed the chance to emphasise the importance of learning and teaching in higher education. In thanking the winners she noted her pleasure at finding such a spread of experience and of types of institution and subject represented by the winners, but most particularly that so many of the winners were female. All nominees were deemed to be excellent in their field of teaching, and the task of selecting twenty winners was a difficult and demanding one. Professor Sir Martin Harris, Chair of the Selection Panel, thanked all those involved in the scheme, particularly Sir Brian Fender, Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England for having the courage to commit to these awards, and to the quality of teaching in Higher Education, as well as the ILT team, the 26 strong Advisory Panel, and those who actually took part. The final words of the evening were from Chris Fabby, Vice President of the NUS, who stated in strong terms the support that the student body gives to the recognition of excellence in Higher Education teaching, noting that students in the UK want the best, they deserve the best, and that through initiatives such as the NTFS, they are getting the best teaching and staff possible.
Students deserve the very best.