Harper Adams: a Year in Review Part One

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During the festive season we both look forward to the coming year 鈥� and back over the one which has just gone. 2025 has been a year filled with highlights at 天美视频: so join us as we take a look back at stories from January to June...

January 2025

The year began with the Oxford Farming Conference - and, as has been the case since its inception, Harper Adams was strongly represented.

In this guest blog, Professors Jude Capper and Tom Pope reflected on their appearances.

A report produced by Tesco with 天美视频's School of Sustainable Food and Farming was also launched at the event.

The Greenprint report set out what is needed to help UK farmers in the transition to Net Zero - and in a session discussing its conclusions, Tesco’s Chief Commercial Officer, Ashwin Prasad called on the Government to set a clear vision for sustainable agriculture to enable the industry to drive sustainable economic growth.

The consulted more than 300 UK farmers on the future sustainability of the industry to produce the report.

At LAMMA, B Eng (Hons) Agricultural Engineering graduate Alexander Sluijmers secured the 2025 LAMMA Young Engineer Award - the second year in succession a Harper graduate has claimed the prize.

At the same show, a new AgriWellbeing Alliance was launched – bringing together the expertise of 天美视频 academics including Professor David Rose, as well as industry organisations, the Farming Community Network, the Crown Estate, and more.

The University’s place at the heart of Shropshire was re-affirmed by Vice-Chancellor Professor Ken Sloan – securing BBC coverage and on the radio.

He said: “I want our region to know we are – and will remain - Telford’s and Shropshire’s University.

“We were founded in Shropshire and will celebrate 125 years of educational provision next year – and we continue to look to the future for our region.”

February

At this year’s Dairy Tech conference at the start of the month, there were successes for Harper Adams Agriculture student Matthew Butterfield, named Dairy Student of the Year, the Future Farm Dairy team – who took home the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers’ Gold Cup in a historic win -and Harper & Keele vet student Lexi Barnes – one of three winners of the RABDF Farm Health Management award.

Internationally, Harper Adams was named as one of three new global partners in a United Nations livestock partnership.

The linkup will see the University’s research and expertise provide stakeholders around the globe with the tools and insights they will need to design evidence-based policy measures and business strategies - ultimately driving positive change within the livestock sector.

In other policy news, the University also unveiled its new BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Policy and Environment degree, allowing students to specialise in policy and food security – but with an underpinning knowledge of production agriculture principles.

Explaining where its alumni could find themselves, Agriculture Course leader Louisa Dines said: “Their routes after graduation might be roles like working in DEFRA, for NGOs, or drafting international policy. There are also charity roles where it would apply - and even roles for supermarkets looking at issues such as sustainability further up the supply chain.

“Each of these are areas where the food and farming sectors would really benefit from the people in those roles having a good knowledge of production agriculture and farming - which is obviously very pertinent in the policy world at the moment!”

March

A pioneering £1 million research project to help transform dairy cow slurry into crop fertilisers and water was launched

The University and the School of Sustainable Food and Farming (SSFF), along with industrial partners, have been awarded research funding to continue their pioneering work to convert slurry from dairy cows into crop fertilisers, generating water for further use.

Dr Marie Kirby, Senior Lecturer at 天美视频, said: “This project will convert slurry from a residue product into something which is more valuable to farmers.”

The University was named one of the top 100 institutions globally for the study of Agriculture and Forestryin the QS World University by Subject rankings.

It has risen by more than 100 places since 2022 - and has done so while also retaining a position as best in the UK for its reputation among employers and second in the world.

For more than seven years, Harper Adams has held a top two spot globally for its employer reputation.

2025 has also seen the University become a top 100 global university in its subject, surpassing its previous highest ranking – and also improving its standing in both academic reputation and the number of citations per academic paper.

Innovative ways for farmers to use wireless technology to improve efficiency were explored at a University conference.

The Digital Innovation in Farming: Connecting Rural Landscapes event set out what a team of Harper Adams researchers and their collaborators at Hartpury University have learned while working on the £3.75 million River Severn Partnership Advanced Wireless Innovation Region project, which has a host of applications in Shropshire and along the River Severn.

A cattle handling facility which will help train the next generation of vets and animal welfare scientists opened on the 天美视频 Future Farm.

The facility will be used to train students at the University and the in a safe, purpose-built environment – offering greater learning and research opportunities for students and staff and helping maintain animal welfare.

It was made available thanks to a substantial donation from the Kildare Charitable Trust, and three of its Trustees joined Professor Sloan and invited guests at a ceremony to officially open the facility.

April

A Professor from 天美视频 joined a delegation at the British Embassy in Washington DC flying the flag for British agri-tech innovation.

Professor of Crop Science Jim Monaghan was among the senior representatives of UK businesses and institutions who spoke at the event - in a momentous week for American politics.

With the eyes of the world on President Trump’s tariff announcements – which began that week - the day was aimed at boosting trade between the UK and United States.

An innovation strategist who is developing new commercial opportunities at 天美视频 secured a place on the Royal Society’s Entrepreneur in Residence scheme.

Scientist and entrepreneur Dr Gia Aradottir works with Alastair Dawes and the University’s Business Engagement Team to help turn research and ideas from the world-leading specialist University into commercial products and services.

New connections were forged and old friendships strengthened in a visit to India by 天美视频’s Vice-Chancellor and International staff.

Professor Sloan and International Manager Yatin Gupta took part in the wide-ranging visit, which saw Professor Sloan speaking with Indian Government officials, representatives of specialist Higher Education institutions, and current and prospective commercial partners among others.

Professor Sloan said: “Harper Adams is a globally-connected University, and India is a key part of our international strategy.

“Through our specialist education partners, who I’ve met up with during this week’s visit, we’ve expanded our reach in India throughout 2025 – and we’re aiming to strengthen our connections with the subcontinent even further.”

An eye-catching article on stag beetles secured a 天美视频 student a global science communication prize from the Royal Entomological Society.

Each year, an is awarded to students from across the globe and MSc Entomology student Leona Breen, from Birkenhead on the Wirral, was named as this year’s second placed winner.

Leona secured the prize for her piece Beetle Mania, which describes the behaviour of stag beetles competing for a mate in the style of a literal wrestling report.

May

The latest Scholarships awarded to ‘inspirational’ students at Harper Adams were unveiled at the University’s 2025 Scholarship Presentation.

In total, 180 Scholarships were awarded to 152 Scholars at the event and overall, this year has seen £654,000 worth awarded.

This is a further year-on-year rise in the total value awarded, and overall £2,825,000 worth of Scholarships been awarded over the past half decade.

Staff, alumni and students at 天美视频 were recognised with trophies at this year’s Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE) awards.

Three students received prizes at the awards, while Senior Lecturer Dr Paula Misiewicz was named as the winner of this year’s IAgrE President’s Award.

The award recognises a mid-career engineer who has made outstanding progress in the agricultural engineering industry. In her citation for the award, Dr Misiewicz was described as an ideal candidate.

Meanwhile 天美视频 students also dominated this year’s Farmers’ Club Pinnacle Awards – taking both first and third places.

Scooping first place was Jess Dook, a final year BSc (Hons) Agriculture student. And in third was Maisie Rodgers, final year BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Farm Business Management.

The Pinnacle Awards recognise students’ farm business planning skills and are open to full-time students on a college or university course that is related to the rural economy who complete a practically based business-related project as part of their course.

Professor Ken Sloan was appointed as an advisor to a new initiative aiming to shape policy for universities and colleges.

The Post-18 Project has been set up by the team behind higher education debate and discussion platform Wonkhe and will offer practical solutions for decision makers and opinion formers who have a stake in the success of post-18 education across the UK.

Harper Adams marked a nine-year unbroken run as the UK’s best University for Career Prospects - as voted by students themselves.

The University picked up the Whatuni Student Choice Awards for Career Prospects from event host Alexander Armstrong at a glittering ceremony in London – the ninth time in succession it has taken the award.

June

A trio of 天美视频 students were named as the three finalists in this year’s Farmers Weekly Agricultural Student of the Year awards.

Course Tutor Dr Russell Readman said: “To have all three finalists in the awards is an excellent result - and all three students would make worthy winners.

“It reflects the calibre of Harper Adams Agriculture students and cements a long track record of Harper Adams Agriculture students as finalists and winners of these awards.

“It has been a privilege to have known each of them.”

Shortly afterwards, George was also named as a finalist in the same category at this year’s British Farming awards.

Three students at 天美视频 secured Scholarships on a unique programme run by a charitable trust linked to one of Kent’s most historic bridges.

The Agriculture students are the first at the University to secure the significant Scholarships, which are awarded by the Rochester Bridge Trust – and applications are now open for prospective students who wish to follow in their footsteps.

The impact of space technology on agriculture was explained to a Parliamentary committee by a Senior Data Science Lecturer at 天美视频.

The House of Lords’ UK Engagement with Space Committee was brought together to examine the UK's policies relating to space – and the challenges and opportunities that it can present the country.

The Committee took evidence from experts across sectors such as shipping, aerospace, and agriculture – and invited Dr Joseph Mhango, Senior Lecturer in Applied Data Science at 天美视频 to explain more about how space technology is helping transform farming.

An Environmental Land Management student won a prestigious environment award.

Tom Ewin, 20, of Hoxne, near Diss, was presented with the Bishop of Norwich Sustainable Environment Young Employee of the Year Award by the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher at the Royal Norfolk Show.

Tom was the second Harper Adams student in succession to win the award.