Article: HE Partner of the Year 2025: who made the shortlist? Written by CMI Insights Tuesday 17 March 2026 Share Share to LinkedIn Share to Facebook Share via email This award celebrates innovative institutions that are developing students’ skills and boosting their employability. Here are the five shortlisters who are heading into this year’s final round of judging. Higher education (HE) bolsters students’ own pursuit of excellence – including both their knowledge and their critical thinking skills. It also boosts social mobility and broader economic growth, all of which contribute to the development of a healthy and prosperous society. Management and leadership education is no exception. All over the world, HE institutions are working hard to equip students and learners with the skills they need to flourish in a fast-changing economy. The CMI HE Partner of the Year award celebrates the outstanding institutions that run courses in partnership with CMI. Here are the five institutions that made this year’s shortlist – all of which demonstrated a positive impact on the experience, professional development and employability of their students. Arden University Arden University is one of the UK’s fastest-growing HE institutions, supporting thousands of students in the UK and around the world through flexible, online and blended learning. From business and law to psychology, marketing, healthcare and computing, Arden’s courses focus on career progression. The Arden team says its partnership with CMI “enables us to open doors for learners who may not have considered university a possibility – including working professionals, career changers and those balancing study with other life commitments”. Find out more The winners of the CMI Awards of Excellence will be announced in spring 2026. Read up on all the categories and shortlisters at the link below. Let's go Our judges highlighted how Arden has prioritised social mobility, with a high proportion of ethnic minority groups and disabled learners. They were particularly impressed by its use of virtual reality systems to support soft skills training, as well as its enterprise incubator, which prepares students for the real world through immersive, multicultural experiences. Winning this award would be a powerful endorsement of Arden’s mission to widen access to high-quality higher education and provide the skills people need to empower them in their future careers Buckinghamshire New University Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) provides career-focused courses in nursing, aviation, art and design, business and creative media across its three campuses. It takes a practice-based approach to teaching, keeping student engagement and employability at its heart. Its CMI‑aligned modules play a key role, giving learners a deeper understanding of external governance, professional standards and the expectations of modern organisations. Our judges described BNU as a high-calibre provider and a mediator for personal and professional growth. They praised its standout summer school programme for being immediately applicable to the workplace; and they highlighted the community impact its students have, including one sustainability project where students collected hundreds of unwanted items to give to those who needed them. Winning the award would be a powerful recognition of our commitment to social mobility and the success of our learners. It would affirm the impact of our partnership with CMI in ensuring every learner becomes work‑ready; celebrate our staff and students; and reinforce our mission to deliver outstanding, career-focused education City College Norwich City College Norwich champions apprenticeships as a route to successful careers. Its programmes, delivered in partnership with leading employers and CMI, are designed to develop skills, boost employability and open doors as people progress. “According to our learners, the CMI partnership gives them the skill set, credibility and confidence to take the next step in their careers,” the City College Norwich team told us. Keep reading – who else made the shortlist? Login or register below for Free Instant Access Login If you are already registered as a CMI Friend, Subscriber or Member, just login to view this article. Confirm your registration Login below to confirm your details and access this article. Log in Register for Free Access Not yet a Member, Subscriber or Friend? Register as a CMI Friend for free, and get access to this and many other exclusive resources, as well as weekly updates straight to your inbox. 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