Uni praised for Royal award win

The Minister of State for Trade and Investment Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint has congratulated the Uni on winning the 2011 Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

The university was presented with the Royal honour at a special ceremony for 100 guests at the University’s new £34 million campus centre on Tuesday by the Lord Lieutenant for Bedfordshire Sir Samuel Whitbread on behalf of The Queen.

Vice Chancellor Professor Les Ebdon and Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Ashraf Jawaid attended a reception at Buckingham Palace last week to celebrate the award and were greeted by the Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh.

In a letter to Professor Ebdon, Lord Green wrote: “I am delighted to see that your organisation has been granted the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade this year.

“Our prosperity as a nation depends so much on our corporate success in overseas markets and I am genuinely delighted that your enterprise’s outstanding international trade performance has been recognised.

“I know that such results involve a great deal of hard work and team effort. Please convey my warmest congratulations to everyone in your enterprise who have contributed to this excellent result.”

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are awarded to businesses for outstanding achievement in international trade, innovation and sustainable development. Each year The Queen makes the awards on the advice of the Prime Minister, who is assisted by an advisory committee that includes representatives of government, industry and commerce and the trade unions. They are announced annually on The Queen’s birthday in April.