• Watch A Year of Success at the University of Essex 2014-15

January

• Television presenter David Dimbleby chaired a panel discussion highlighting Essex’s strengths in politics, economics and sociology.
• Essex alumnus Yanis Varoufakis was appointed as Greece’s new Finance Minister in the new Syriza Greek government, with fellow alumna Fontini Vaki elected to represent Corfu. 

February

• The University was awarded Q-Step Affiliate status for the Department of Government, the Department of Sociology and Essex Business School
• Prime Minister David Cameron highlighted the importance of Knowledge Gateway while highlighting the Government’s long-term economic plan for the East of England. 

March

• Experts from the University are contributing to a ground-breaking three-year study on biomechanics.
• The Forum at Southend Campus was listed as a ‘Building that Inspires’ in the Guardian University Awards. 

April

• Essex Business School student Kieran Lang and Sport and Exercise Science student Jaina Modasia took part in BBC Young Dancer 2015.
• The QS World Rankings put the University in the top 50 for Sociology, and top 100 for Economics and Politics and International Studies. 

May

• University students played a key role in the ITV News election night coverage.
• Thanks to investments in sport, the University saw new levels of participants in sporting activities and greater success in the British Universities and Colleges Sports league. 

June

• Essex alumna Dr Aisha Gill was awarded a Celebrating Impact Prize by the Economic and Social Research Council for her work on countering ‘honour’ crimes and forced marriages.
• The University’s Chancellor Shami Chakrabarti launched our Women of the Future appeal to fund 25 scholarships for women around the world to study at Essex. 

July                                           

• The University launched the Centre for Research in Language Development Throughout the Lifespan, which will be the first of its kind in the UK
• At Graduation, Honorary Graduates included England footballer Casey Stoney MBE, award-winning anti-poverty campaigner Jack Monroe and The Clangers creator Peter Firmin. 

August

• Essex Business School student Hiva Rafiei gave a speech at the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York after being selected as one of the winners of the United Nations Academic Impact Global Essay Contest.
• The annual National Student Survey showed 100% of students are satisfied with their US Studies course, making Essex the highest ranking US Studies provider in the UK. 

September

• Dr Gavin Grindon curated the Museum of Cruel Designs for renowned artist Banksy’s controversial show Dismaland.
• Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities graduate Ralph Baker was one of only three successful candidates selected for the HarperCollins’ 2015 Graduate Scheme. 

October

• Plans have now been submitted for a new state-of-the-art £13.7m teaching centre for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students.
• Dr Ahmed Shaheed, of our Human Rights Centre, was one of the recipients for the 2015 Leo Nevas Human Rights Award, for his work as a United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran. 

November

• More than 300 students from over 50 countries received scholarships this year, as the University celebrated our outstanding and diverse student populations.
• A state-of-the-art Interpreting Lab with capacity for up to 350 delegates was opened by Paul Kaye from the European Commission. 

December

• The latest edition of the annual compilation of interesting policy relevant research using data from Understanding Society, the UK Household Longitudinal Study, was published.
• A project between the University and two local authorities to transform community services won £2.2 million Catalyst funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).