Leicester shortlisted for a Guardian University Award
The University has been shortlisted for a Guardian University Award for its campaign work on the 'Vardyquake' project - a student-led project that measured the seismic activity produced by Leicester City fans when their team scored goals at the nearby King Power Stadium.
The project, and the widespread dissemination of it thanks to massive interest in the Foxes’ fairytale season, achieved unprecedented engagement with local, national and international audiences. What started as a way of promoting scientific ideas in one local school became part of a worldwide phenomenon. As the season drew to a close and the team’s success became ever more likely, international press and media descended on Leicester, looking for novel angles on the story. The Vardyquake project was ideal, being quirky enough to transfer from sports pages to mainstream news, but with a serious basis in both science and student experience that did not trivialise the University.
Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Wednesday 29 March.
Watch a video about the project below: