Advance HE’s Aurora leadership development initiative for women in higher education has been commended for its outstanding commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at this year’s Princess Royal Training Awards ceremony.
The organisation was one of just seven awardees – out of 57 recipients – to receive a DEI Commendation at the ceremony held at Fishmongers Hall this week, where Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal presented the awards.
Advance HE Chief Executive Alistair Jarvis CBE attended the ceremony alongside Sarah McSorley, Delivery Executive for the Aurora programme, who received the award from HRH The Princess Royal on behalf of the organisation.
Advance HE Chief Executive Alistair Jarvis CBE attended the ceremony alongside Sarah McSorley, Delivery Executive for the Aurora programme, who received the award from HRH The Princess Royal on behalf of the organisation. (Photo credit: Rachael Barron Photography)
Aurora, which was announced as a Princess Royal Training Award recipient in August, supports women in higher education to gain leadership confidence, skills and visibility. With over 15,000 participants from 230 institutions, the programme doubles promotion rates compared to non-participants and delivers measurable progression outcomes in academic and professional services roles.
The DEI Commendation recognises organisations’ commitment to building inclusive workplaces. Research from McKinsey & Company has shown that gender diverse companies outperform less diverse companies by 15%.
Commenting on the commendation, Alistair Jarvis, said: “We are immensely proud that Aurora has been recognised not only with a Princess Royal Training Award, but also with a commendation for our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. This dual recognition reflects the transformative impact Aurora has had over more than a decade in advancing women’s leadership in higher education. The programme’s success in empowering women’s leadership in the sector demonstrates that meaningful initiatives that further diversity and equality deliver tangible results for both individuals and institutions. I congratulate the entire Aurora team – and the Aurora community – for their dedication to creating lasting change in our sector.”
The 2025 Princess Royal Training Awards marked a major milestone, celebrating 10 years of recognising training excellence. Over the past decade, more than 1,000 training programmes have been assessed, positively impacting almost 1 million people through award-winning initiatives across the UK and Ireland.
This article is repurposed by kind permission of AdvanceHE, the original being available here.